Full Album Premiere & Review: Fire Down Below, Low Desert Surf Club

Posted in audiObelisk, Reviews on September 7th, 2023 by JJ Koczan

Fire Down Below Low Desert Surf Club

[Click play above to stream Fire Down Below’s Low Desert Surf Club in its entirety. Album is out tomorrow, Sept. 8, on Ripple Music.]

Immediate cowbell. On a song called “Cocaine Hippo,” no less. If you’re looking for a way to convey energy, movement, motivation for the listener to get of their ass, that’s a fitting way to go, and indeed how Ghent, Belgium’s Fire Down Below lead off their third album, with an intro that communes directly with Queens of the Stone Age‘s “Millionaire” and a hook that backs it with a rhythmic push that would make Fu Manchu smile. Along with that cowbell, then, is the immediacy of communion with California desert/heavy rock, and particularly that of the 1990s and the turn of the century, circa 2000-’03.

Comprised of guitarists Kevin Gernaey (lead) and Jeroen Van Troyen (also vocals), bassist Bert Wynsberghe and drummer Sam Nuytens, the band offer nine songs across 57 minutes of material, and even that feels like a reference to the CD era, and it’s nearly 15 minutes longer than was 2018’s Hymn of the Cosmic Man (review here), much of which can be accounted for in the 16:06 closer “Mantra.”

That’s the longest song the band have ever made — though both Hymn of the Cosmic Man and their 2017 debut, Viper Vixen Goddess Saint, passed 11 minutes in their respective finales — and in seven-minute cuts “Surf Queen” and the catchy-as-all-get-out “Here Comes the Flood,” and the six-minute heavy psych lean of “Hazy Snake” with some Elderian shimmer in its lead guitar that feels well placed since Nick DiSalvo (guitar/vocals in ElderDelving, drums in Weite, etc.) produced with engineering by Richard Behrens (he’s the guy in Berlin; front-of-house for Kadavar, was in Samsara Blues Experiment, has recorded tons of bands, on and on), they explore outer reaches around the perimeter of the straightforward heavy rock and roll of songs like “Cocaine Hippo,” “California” and “Airwolf” in the initial salvo or “Dune Buggy” and “The Last Cowboy, which are positioned to offset the longer pieces.

All of this — the titular delve into surf for the first half of “Surf Queen” before it gets into a more open, jammier stretch and circles back to the hook, the pure desert worship and escapism of “California,” the ecological impossibility of lines like “Surfing through the desert, I ride a wave/There’s a lady dressed in white who knows my name” in “Cocaine Hippo,” and so on — results in a full-length of marked flow and varied sounds built around its central, heavily-fuzzed ideology. Most of all it feels like a celebration.

One that feels well earned, given the five years between Hymn of the Cosmic Man and Low Desert Surf Club. And if these songs are something of a breakout moment for Fire Down Below, a realization of who they are as a group and the things they want to honor in their music, then that’s the manifestation of a heart-on-sleeve approach they’ve had all along. Heavy rock by heavy rockers; Fire Down Below sound like fans of the style they’re playing.

Fire Down Below circa Low Desert Surf Club

The low-rolling post-Kyussism of “Airwolf” and the similarly sourced shove of “The Last Cowboy” in the penultimate spot — crucial there for regrounding from “Hazy Snake” and ending on a gentle fade in its solo ahead of the sprawling “Mantra” — and the fact that the centerpiece is the sand-boogie of “Dune Buggy,” named for vehicle that might cruise through the desert à la Truckfighters and serves as a getaway car here, makes forehead-slapping sense considering the return of the cowbell, the drive of the chorus and that last charge that pays off its mini-build. On a level of fans communicating their love for this specific thing to its specific community, the dogwhistles and references abound and converts will find themselves smiling in recognition as the funky swing in the first movement of “Mantra” unfolds with its Brant Bjork hat on, so much go-go-go throughout resolved inevitably, correctly, at an unshakable altar of cool.

If “Surf Queen” ends side A of the 2LP and “The Last Cowboy” wraps side B, and side D is etched, that leaves “Mantra” hanging alone on side C. Will listeners to the vinyl swap platters for one song, even one as substantial as that? Does anyone actually listen to vinyl other than to take pictures for social media? I don’t know. Depends on the listener, obviously, but “Mantra” earns its standalone place, feeling at least partially improvised around its central riff in the early going, digging into mellower Kyuss circa …And the Circus Leaves Town in its wavy-guitar structured midsection before the swinging, hot-shit strut verse riff kicks in and the festival set begins the trek to its peak.

At about 8:30, the vocals depart and the band smoothly — so, so smoothly; gracefully — begin to sidestep into another mostly-instrumental stretch, still holding some of the early funk and classic style, but seeming to inhale before they dive into Low Desert Surf Club‘s actual finish. I don’t know the process through which “Mantra” was made, whether it was different parts recorded and assembled after the fact, jammed-out live in the studio, or what, but I enjoy how little it seems to matter to the actual listening experience, which fulfills the immersion that “Here Comes the Flood” teased and is atmospheric without hyperintellectualizing aesthetic and thus undercutting the passion fueling it. It’s a win, is what I’m saying.

And its ending, for which the vocals briefly return, hits its mark and calms down, highlighting the intimacy between Fire Down Below and their subject matter. This is not desert rock by happenstance; it’s desert rock as a lifestyle. It’s tattooed desert rock. And I guess there are still people who think desert rock has to come from a desert. Okay. Does everyone who plays death metal have to die? Regardless of the absurdity of that position, Low Desert Surf Club basks in its all-in nature as regards genre, and a good portion of the character of the album comes from the obvious love and passion with which it was made. Also the riffs. And the songs. And the tone. And and and…

Fire Down Below on Facebook

Fire Down Below on Instagram

Fire Down Below on Bandcamp

Ripple Music on Facebook

Ripple Music on Instagram

Ripple Music on Bandcamp

Ripple Music website

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Fire Down Below Announce Low Desert Surf Club Out Sept. 8

Posted in Whathaveyou on July 11th, 2023 by JJ Koczan

Fire Down Below circa Low Desert Surf Club

Belgian heavy rockers Fire Down Below give a catchy and uptempo showing in the first single from their third album, Low Desert Surf Club, keeping on-theme with the album’s title in the shove of “California.” The four-piece imported producers Nick DiSalvo (also of ElderWeiteDelving, etc.) and Richard Behrens (too many to list as producer/engineer, but he was also in Heat and Samsara Blues Experiment) from Berlin to make the record, as they profess something of a stylistic re-grounding after 2018’s Hymn of the Cosmic Man (review here). “California” bears that out with a straight-ahead, down-the-highway shove and maybe a little bit of daydream escapism in the bridge later on.

I don’t know if any of the members of the band have been to CA or not and I don’t particularly care. Aside from the reality that desert rock can happen in places without a desert, as someone born and raised on the Eastern Seaboard of the US, the Golden State was a daydream for me too. Even that kid in The Wizard knew. “California…” Even then, the future was neurodivergent.

Album preorders and the song stream are below, as per the PR wire:

Fire Down Below Low Desert Surf Club

Belgian stoner rockers FIRE DOWN BELOW drop burning hot debut single off new album “Low Desert Surf Club”, out September 8th on Ripple Music!

Ghent-based stoner rock foursome FIRE DOWN BELOW announce the release of their third studio album “Low Desert Surf Club” through Ripple Music this September 8th, with preorders and a summer-ready first single available now!

About their new single, FIRE DOWN BELOW explain: “California is our take on a feel-good party song that would lift us from the everyday doom and gloom and remind us that good times were going to be back. Now that they are, we hope people will feel the vibes and go crazy with us when we play this song live. Party time!”

“Embracing the contradiction of a Belgian band making songs about the California desert, we pinned down the album title because it captures the general ‘summer vibes upbeat rock ‘n roll’ vibe,” says the band. Produced by Elder frontman Nick DiSalvo and recorded by renowned Berlin engineer Richard Berhens at Dunk! Studios at Zottegem in Belgium, third album “Low Desert Surf Club” is filled with nine fuzzed-out and sunbaked feel-good hits evocative of a road trip through the Californian desert, from the high-speed stoner madness of “Cocaine Hippo” or “Surf Queen” to the heavier and mind-altering vibe of “Hazy Snake” and “Hear Comes The Flood”. An instant stoner rock classic that should enthrall fans of Fu Manchu, Kyuss and 1000mods!

“Written when people were confined to their houses, live music was banned and putting four guys together in a room to jam was borderline illegal, we made the decision not to lament and wee, but instead make an album full of positive vibes and hope for better days to return soon. So we started writing songs that made us feel like we were driving through wide-open deserts, exploring new lands or partying at the beach all day and all night long. After exploring outer space on our second album Hymn of the Cosmic Man, this album feels closer to the vibes on our debut Viper Vixen Goddess Saint,” the band adds.

FIRE DOWN BELOW “Low Desert Surf Club”
Out September 8th on Ripple Music

US preorder – https://ripplemusic.bigcartel.com/product/fire-down-below-low-desert-surf-club-digipack-cd
Bandcamp – https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/album/low-desert-surf-club

Formed in Ghent (Belgium) in 2015, Fire Down Below first stepped into the spotlight with their self-released debut album Viper Vixen Goddess Saint in 2016. The album quickly garnered international praise and caught the attention of California-based label Ripple Music, home of some of the finest bands in the world of stoner, doom and heavy rock. Ripple Music re-released VVGS worldwide and released its sophomore album Hymn of the Cosmic Man in 2018. The second album again received excellent critique and Fire Down Below played over 30 shows throughout Europe in the next year.

Album three, Low Desert Surf Club, was recorded in late 2022. The band sought and found a producer in Nick DiSalvo, famed frontman of the bands Elder and Delving. Richard Behrens (Samsara Blues Experiment, Big Snuff Studio Berlin) was added to the team to record and mix the nine tracks on the album. Low Desert Surf Club will be released on 8 September 2023. With the new album, Fire Down Below is once again ready to rock any stage.

Fire Down Below has become known for energetic live shows, with sweat often dripping from the walls by the time they quit the stage. They have shared line ups with bands like Fu Manchu, Sleep, Monster Magnet, Acid King, Naxatras and Stoned Jesus and appeared on festival such as Desertfest Antwerp (BE), Desertfest London (UK), Desertfest Ghent (BE), Alcatraz Hard Rock and Metal Festival (BE), Ripplefest Cologne (GER) and Westill Fest (FR).

FIRE DOWN BELOW is:
Kevin Gernaey – lead guitar
Sam Nuytens – drums
Jeroen Van Troyen – vocals, guitar
Bert Wynsberghe – bass

https://www.facebook.com/firedownbelow/
https://firedownbelow.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/firedownbelowband/
https://twitter.com/Fire_Down_Below

https://www.facebook.com/theripplemusic/
https://www.instagram.com/ripplemusic/
https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/
http://www.ripple-music.com/

Fire Down Below, Low Desert Surf Club (2023)

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Desertfest Belgium 2022: Ghent Headliners Announced

Posted in Whathaveyou on August 15th, 2022 by JJ Koczan

desertfest belgium 2022 dates banner

Candlemass and Orange Goblin will headline Deserfest Belgium 2022 in Ghent on Oct. 30. The Swedish doom legends and the kings of Heavy London are the latest announcements for the later Belgian incarnation of Desertfest, which also adds The Devil and the Almighty Blues — who, god damn, are great live — and has kind of quietly become a sonically diverse assemblage of bands from across various subgenres. Granted, neither Monolord, nor Elder, nor Coven, or really any of these bands are new to the festival circuit in Europe, but the Ghent Desertfest feels a little more willing to explore the ether, and I’m not just saying that because they booked Tau and the Drones of Praise, though certainly that doesn’t hurt. And of course, if you’re up for a bit of rock and roll, that will be accommodated as well.

The following came down the PR wire:

desertfest belgium 2022 ghent poster

DF 2022 GHENT: HEADLINERS! CANDLEMASS and ORANGE GOBLIN, plus THE DEVIL & THE ALMIGHTY BLUES

We have almost completed the line-up for our one-day Ghent extravaganza, and they are all doozies. Headlining the Hallowed Sunday will be literal doom pioneers CANDLEMASS. Severely underrated at the time, they have been restored as true originators, so their place at Desertfest is a sort of homecoming.

Equally legendary are ORANGE GOBLIN, whose immortal discography is only outshined by an epic live reputation. They are simply unable to play a lesser show, which will once again be proven at DF Ghent.

And finally, Norway’s THE DEVIL AND THE ALMIGHTY BLUES are a Desertfest fan favorite that come to share their blues-infused grooves with us.

To reiterate, that makes for one serious list of acts gathered on just one day:
CANDLEMASS – ORANGE GOBLIN – ELDER – PALLBEARER – ENVY – MONOLORD – COVEN – CELESTE – REGARDE LES HOMMES TOMBER – THE DEVIL AND THE ALMIGHTY BLUES – THE DEVIL’S TRADE – WYATT E. – IRIST – STEAK – TAU & THE DRONES OF PRAISE – GGU:LL

And there might be another name added to this holy list! So stay tuned and don’t pass up on this cornucopia of psychedelic goodness! Take it as one measured dose, or combine it with the Antwerp weekend for a Rocktober of epic proportions. The prices remain the same:

DF ANTWERP & GHENT REDUCED COMBI: 149 Euros
(valid 4 days: 14-16/10 – Antwerp & 30/10 – Ghent)

DF ANTWERP ONLY REDUCED COMBI: 120 Euros
(valid 3 days: 14-16/10 – Antwerp)

DF ANTWERP ONLY REDUCED DAY TICKET: 58 Euros
(valid 1 day: 14, 15 or 16/10 – Antwerp)

DF GHENT ONLY REDUCED DAY TICKET: 52 Euros
(valid 1 day: 30/10 – Ghent)

GET ALL YOUR COMBI & DAY TICKETS HERE: https://desertfest.be/antwerp/information/ticketing/

Stay tuned for further updates very soon!

http://www.desertfest.be/
https://www.facebook.com/desertfestbelgium/
https://www.instagram.com/desertfest_belgium/

Candlemass, Live in Houston, Texas, April 22, 2022

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Desertfest Belgium 2022: Ghent Lineup Adds Coven, Steak, Tau & the Drones of Praise and More

Posted in Whathaveyou on July 28th, 2022 by JJ Koczan

desertfest belgium 2022 dates banner

The lineup for Desertfest Belgium 2022 in Ghent on Oct. 30 is starting to get awfully full for a one day festival. And weird, which of course is a good thing. Desertfest‘s second Belgian edition welcomes cult legends Coven here, most notably — and it’s interesting to note that Jinx Dawson has a “fresh new band” behind her — as well as SteakTau and the Drones of PraiseCelesteGgu:ll and The Devil’s Trade, so yeah, you could say that the bill is starting to get a little out there. So much the better. You’ve got Elder and Pallbearer up at the top — though I wonder if either is headlining — and Monolord to keep things grounded. Might as well indulge a freaky side too.

If you go, I bet this’ll be a trip. Would love to hear about it sometime:

DESERTFEST BELGIUM GHENT 2022 poster

DF 2022 GHENT: NEW NAMES! COVEN, CELESTE, AND MORE!

After last week’s name dropping avalanche for DF Antwerp, it was high time for us to deliver the goods for the Ghent edition, wouldn’t you agree? So here are some sweet additions to the 30/10 line-up.

COVEN is one of the most revered names in Occult Metal lore. After years of cult status, their legacy finally got the acknowledgement it deserves. Now backed with a fresh new band, legendary singer Jinx Dawson has taken Coven back on the road, and we’re excited to see them play Desertfest Ghent.

Also on the bill will be French post-metal sensation CELESTE, who certainly need no further introduction. Their extreme crushing power is known, loved and feared in equal measure. To further thicken the oppressive atmosphere at De Vooruit venue, we have engaged Dutch doomsters GGU:LL who will present their first new material in 6 years (out later this year on the Ghent label Consouling Sounds). And how about THE DEVIL’S TRADE, aka Hungarian singer-songwriter Dávid Makó and his very personal take on doom folk and Eastern European folklore?

We further welcome London-based rockers STEAK who have certainly turned heads with their adventurous new album ‘Acute Mania’. We’re very excited to see them bring this Floydian opus to our stage. And finally, Shaun Mulrooney’s musical spaceship TAU will be here, along with the mysterious DRONES OF PRAISE who will join him in his neo-folk psychedelic jam-outs.

You know where to find the tickets, and be aware you can get a reduced combi deal for the Antwerp & Ghent festivals combined. Day tickets for Antwerp have also been on sale since last week – so there’s plenty of opportunity to mix and match the festival days to your liking!

DF ANTWERP & GHENT REDUCED COMBI: 149 Euros
(valid 4 days: 14-16/10 – Antwerp & 30/10 – Ghent)

DF ANTWERP ONLY REDUCED COMBI: 120 Euros
(valid 3 days: 14-16/10 – Antwerp)

DF ANTWERP ONLY REDUCED DAY TICKET: 58 Euros
(valid 1 day: 14, 15 or 16/10 – Antwerp)

DF GHENT ONLY REDUCED DAY TICKET: 52 Euros
(valid 1 day: 30/10 – Ghent)

GET ALL YOUR COMBI & DAY TICKETS HERE: https://desertfest.be/antwerp/information/ticketing/

Stay tuned for further updates very soon!

http://www.desertfest.be/
https://www.facebook.com/desertfestbelgium/
https://www.instagram.com/desertfest_belgium/

Tau and the Drones of Praise, “It is Right to Give Drones and Praise” official video

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Desertfest Belgium 2022 Makes First Lineup Announcements

Posted in Whathaveyou on May 10th, 2022 by JJ Koczan

desertfest belgium 2022 dates banner

October feels like a long time away, but so does four o’clock this afternoon, so fair enough for Desertfest Belgium 2022 to make its first lineup announcements for Antwerp (Oct. 14-16) and Ghent (Oct. 30). Am I crazy or should they not add a third one? Maybe Brussels or Liège? Imagine the entire month of October weekends in Belgium, each with its own Desertfest? Not everyone can spend a month touring in a loop around Belgium, but hell, it’s not like they’re short on bands. Do a third, maybe a fourth edition and make it like some kind of October… fest. I bet that’d work. Octoberfest. A totally original idea specifically for this circumstance that I just had right now. You’re welcome.

Looks like the Elder and Pallbearer tour will swing through, and I’ll be interested to see if Gozu are doing any broader touring or are just hitting Antwerp and out — also how that might be timed to their new record currently being tracked — and certainly the Belgium edition of Desertfest is established enough that it’ll probably sell out both these editions without the full lineup announced. Hey guys, if you want me to book DF Liège, just let me know. I’m around.

Meantime, PR wire:

desertfest belgium 2022 first posters

DF 2022 ANTWERP & GHENT: FIRST NAMES! CAVE IN, ELDER, PALLBEARER & MORE

Antwerp tickets: https://desertfest.be/antwerp/information/ticketing/

Ghent tickets: https://desertfest.be/ghent/information/ticketing/

Now that you’ve secured your Early Bird, of course you are dying to find out what’s in store. Or maybe you wanted to wait out this first announcement before shelling over your hard-earned cash?

Whatever may be the case, the wait is over. We are excited to share our first names with you, for both the Antwerp and Ghent edition. A couple of scene stalwarts, as well as some more out-there choices. Here we go!

Confirmed for ANTWERP & GHENT: ELDER and PALLBEARER are two legendary tastes that go very well together. To drive that point home, they will be appearing together at both Desertfest Belgium editions this fall. That’s it, that’s the message – don’t tell us you need to know any more to get your engines revving! But just in case, we’ll throw in IRIST and their unholy mix of metalcore and doom. All of these will be appearing in both Antwerp and Ghent.

Confirmed for ANTWERP ONLY are the illustrious don’t-call-it-post outfit CAVE-IN, and balls-to-the-wall rock band GOZU.

Confirmed for GHENT ONLY we have the Japanese post-screamo legends ENVY, and French apocalyptic doomsayers REGARDE LES HOMMES TOMBER.

Only one more thing left to say: go get your tickets! Reduced Combi formulas are now available, for the separate events as well as one super-duper joint combi-to-rule-them-all:

DF ANTWERP & GHENT REDUCED COMBI: 149 Euros
(valid 4 days: 14-16/10 – Antwerp & 30/10 – Ghent)
DF ANTWERP ONLY REDUCED COMBI: 120 Euros
(valid 3 days: 14-16/10 – Antwerp)
DF GHENT ONLY REDUCED DAY TICKET: 52 Euros
(valid 1 day: 30/10 – Ghent)

We’ll be back with more names to add, very soon..

http://www.desertfest.be/
https://www.facebook.com/desertfestbelgium/
https://www.instagram.com/desertfest_belgium/

Elder, Live at Desertfest London 2022, April 30

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Desertfest Belgium 2021 Completes Ghent Lineup; Fire Down Below, Fake Indians & Beaten by Hippies Added

Posted in Whathaveyou on October 27th, 2021 by JJ Koczan

desertfest belgium ghent 2021 banner

As you can below the inaugural lineup for Desertfest Belgium’s Ghent edition is solid. They’ve gone so far as to reinforce it by importing King Buffalo across the Atlantic, resulting in a ‘Desert Stage’ schedule that about as far removed from fuckwithable as one could reasonably ask. Then you fill it out with, you know, the rest of the festival, and you’ve really got something going.

Well, you have a festival I guess. That’s definitely not nothing, especially these days.

Good show if you’re in the neighborhood. I’m not, but still good show.

Last word from the PR wire:

desertfest belgium ghent 2021 schedule

DFBE21 Ghent: Last Names & Countdown to Zero!

Can we all agree that Desertfest Antwerp was a resounding success, and dare we say: a return to form? Great! Now get in line because the party’s not over: the first edition of DF Ghent is nearly upon us! We have added a last handful of local talent to round out the line-up that already includes Motorpsycho, 1000Mods, Stoned Jesus aaaaand KING BUFFALO!

The Antwerpian psych slackers Fake Indians made a great impressions opening the Canyon stage at DF Antwerp, with a mindblending show of heavy drones and visual pyrotechnics. That was fun, so let’s do it again! They’ll make their welcome return at DF Ghent.

Fire Down Below is a Ghent-based stoner band with a great connection to our scene’s homebase with a signing on SoCal’s Ripple Music imprint. They guarantee an amp-ripping fuzz-hugging good time, and we’re stoked to have them playing their hometown for us.

And finally, Beaten By Hippies will bring you a solid reminder of everything that is good about straight-up no-frills stoner, with a stonking live act that has already earned them plenty of accolades on our local stages.

And there we have it – that will be the first chapter of our story in Ghent. Come and witness the birth of a new legend, and get your tickets!
TICKETS FOR DF GHENT ARE AVAILABLE HERE: https://www.desertfest.be/ghent/information/ticketing/

DESERTFEST GHENT (30/10): €52,00 ALL IN

http://www.desertfest.be/
https://www.facebook.com/desertfestbelgium/
https://www.instagram.com/desertfest_belgium/

Fire Down Below, Hymn of the Cosmic Man (2018)

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Modder to Release Self-Titled Debut on Consouling Sounds & Lay Bare Recordings

Posted in Whathaveyou on October 22nd, 2021 by JJ Koczan

No sense pretending to be Johnny Groundfloor on Modder here, but if you, like me, didn’t hear the Belgian five-piece’s 21-minute debut single, “Mudslinger,” when they released it late last year, it’s well worth the atmosludge immersion. By the time their self-titled debut shows up, they may turn out to be more in line with Europe’s rampant post-metal movement — from Amenra to the Pelagic Records roster, etc. — but “Mudslinger” is rawer, more consistent in its volume and its course feels less defined by artsy hyper-consciousness than sheer grooving drive. Maybe that’s wishful thinking on my part. I don’t know. There’s demolition happening in my house as I type this, so everything kind of sounds destructive.

But! When Lay Bare Recordings and Consouling Sounds both get together around a thing, that’s a thing I want to know more about, so this is my way of leaving a note to myself to find out more about Modder‘s Modder when the time comes. In the interim, should you happen to be in their part of the world, they’ll be making a hometown appearance at Desertfest in Ghent at the end of the month. Good gig for a band who just have a single out. Or, you know, anyone.

And no, my neck probably isn’t “ready for the riff onslaught.” Just being honest. I headbanged like twice yesterday morning and I can still feel it. Perils of age.

From the band’s sociables:


Modder photo by Thijs Bliki

Modder – Modder

Our first full length LP ‘Modder’ will be available at the end of this year, as promised.

The wonderful Lay Bare Recordings invited us into their family and grooving roster of like minded artists.

Expanding the family even more, the amazing Consouling Sounds will be co-releasing our LP as well, home of many inspiring bands.

Suffice to say, we are hyped to be releasing our hard work on two astonishing labels we respect and are proud to call our new home. Are your necks ready for the riff onslaught that is about to come?

http://facebook.com/modder666
https://modder.bandcamp.com
https://laybarerecordings.com/
https://www.facebook.com/laybarerecordings/
https://www.instagram.com/laybarerecordings/
http://consouling.be
http://www.facebook.com/ConsoulingSounds
http://twitter.com/consouling
http://www.instagram.com/consouling

Modder, “Mudslinger”

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Desertfest Belgium 2021 Adds to Antwerp and Ghent Lineups

Posted in Whathaveyou on September 14th, 2021 by JJ Koczan

Big update from Desertfest Belgium 2021. After recently unveiling some cancelations and following up with a list of the precautionary measures being taken to deal with happening during a pandemic, the Antwerp and Ghent-based editions of the festival both receive a round of lineup additions. Greece’s 1000mods will take part in both, while the likes of Electric Moon and Stoned Jesus join Ghent, and Monkey3 and Slift and Temple Fang confirmed for Antwerp. I’m not sure ultimately how many acts the two Desertfest Belgiums — Belgii? — will share between them, but with Ghent happening on one day and Antwerp happening across three, there’s bound to be significant variation. Looks like that’s happening here already, and take note of Ohio’s Frayle making the trip for Ghent. Hope they can get out of the US to make it in time, or that the EU hasn’t banned our infectious asses by then.

It’s nice to think about these things every day, isn’t it? Doesn’t it just feel like the way humanity was meant to live? Not at all a drain on one’s entire being.

I digress. Constantly. Here’s info from the PR wire:

desertfest belgium 2021 banner

DFBE21: A MASSIVE 20 NEW NAMES FOR ANTWERP & GHENT!

1000MODS playing both events, Monkey3, Stoned Jesus & much much more

Strap in folks, because this is going to be a ride.. after all the hassle with COVID and cancels, let’s have some great to even greater news about both festivals shall we? We have a whole slew of names for you and if we may say so ourselves: we’re positively STOKED about all of these. Scene favourites, new and upcoming acts, local gems to discover.. we have it all. Here we go!

First of all: the Greek stoner sensation 1000MODS will be playing Antwerp as well as Ghent. We love ‘em, you love ‘em, their mother loves ‘em – everybody loves ‘em, okay! They need no further introduction so let’s move on to another favourite that will grace the stage in Ghent: STONED JESUS is coming to town, and you all know what that means. Killer grooves and a mighty good time. We’re also extremely excited to have DELVING on board which is the new project of ELDER frontman Nick DiSalvo. This will be one of their first shows after the album dropped in June, and we can already tell you this one’s gonna be something special.

ALL NEW NAMES FOR DF GHENT: 1000MODS, STONED JESUS, DELVING, LILI REFRAIN, ELECTRIC MOON, NERO DI MARTE, HEMELBESTORMER, FRAYLE, IGNATZ, MODDER

Moving on to Antwerp, we’re looking forward to revisit the audiovisual extravaganza of MONKEY3 who completely killed it at our last edition. For more spaced-out craziness, YURI GAGARIN is always a safe choice so let’s go with that. With VILLAGERS OF IOANNINA CITY we have the second Greek band on the bill, with a more leftfield sound but no less essential.

ALL NEW NAMES FOR DF ANTWERP: MONKEY3, VILLAGERS OF IOANNINA CITY, 1000MODS, YURI GAGARIN, SLIFT, ALKERDEEL, ATOMIC VULTURE, TEMPLE FANG, DAILY THOMPSON, BISMUT, FAKE INDIANS.

We still have a few names up our sleeve, but we hope this whopper list goes a long way to get you stoked. Please remember that we have installed a COVID info page on our websites, where you can check what to do in order to come fully prepared to the festival. We’re updating it as we go, and we try to help out our non-EU visitors as well. Make sure to read it to avoid disappointments at the entrance.

http://www.desertfest.be/
https://www.facebook.com/desertfestbelgium/
https://www.instagram.com/desertfest_belgium/

1000mods, “Pearl” official video

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