Posted in Whathaveyou on December 16th, 2025 by JJ Koczan
Athenian bang-head-against-genre heavy rockers Godsleep have spent much of the last two years on the road supporting their latest release, 2023’s Lies to Survive (review here). I was lucky enough to see them at Freak Valley 2024 (review here), and after witnessing their onstage energy for myself — they blew me right out of the water; I had to sit down — it was little surprise this year when they showed up on the bills for Tabernas Desert Rock Fest, Down the Hill, Keep it Low and others.
That’s not to say I ‘discovered’ a thing, unless you count realizing for myself what the European heavy underground already knew well, just that the set was killer and, as in the best scenarios, gave a new dimension to my conception of who Godsleep are as a band. Fervency is part of it, and stage presence, but listening back to Lies to Survive, that sense of breaking-the-rules of style (which are imaginary, it needs to be said every time) and the righteousness of their delivery are also factors. There are a bunch of reasons to like this band, in other words.
Dates were posted on socials and — wouldn’t you know it? — here they are:
Europe, we’re coming for you! Headlining shows all spring and we can’t wait. Bring the energy, bring the noise, let’s make this tour massive!⚡️
22/04/26 BERLIN (DE) – NEUE ZUKUNFT 23/04/26 DRESDEN (DE) – OSTPOL 24/04/26 WIESBADEN (DE) – KREATIVFABRIK 25/04/26 MARSBERG (DE) – ZUR TENNE 28/04/26 SOLOTHURN (CH) – KULTURFABRIK KOFMEHL 29/04/26 STUTTGART (DE) – JUHA WEST 30/04/26 JENA KUBA (DE) – JENA 01/05/26 MÜNSTER (DE) – RARE GUITAR 02/05/26 BRAUNSCHWEIG (DE) – B58 04/05/26 LANGENBERG (DE) – KGB 05/05/26 HAMBURG (DE) – HAFENKLANG 06/05/26 HANNOVER (DE) – KULTURZENTRUM FAUST 07/05/26 KÖLN (DE) – GARAGEN 08/05/26 VIERSEN (DE) – ROCKSCHICHT 09/05/26 LIMBURG (DE) – LIMEWOOD FESTIVAL 26/05/26 LILLE (FR) – BRAT CAVE 27/05/26 PARIS (FR) – SUPERSONIC RECORDS 28/05/26 NANTES (FR) – COLD CRASH 29/05/26 LORIENT (FR) – PITDOG 30/05/26 HOSSEGOR (FR) – 416 CREW 31/05/26 MONTPELLIER (FR) – SECRET PLACE
-More Dates to be Announced-
Powered by @spider_promotion / @sanitmils Artwork by @bewild
Posted in Whathaveyou on July 21st, 2025 by JJ Koczan
The day splits are out for Keep it Low #11, which is set for this October in Munich, and if you look at the bill, it kind of sells itself. Immediate vibe on the Sound of Liberation-associated fest, now a staple of the Fall festival touring circuit in Europe. Masters of Reality and Graveyard reside at the top of the lineup, but with Colour Haze and Lowrider and My Sleeping Karma and Kanaan and Conan and on and on to Rotor, Godsleep and Bikini Beach, who are newly added and The Vintage Caravan coming from Iceland to support their new album and Blue Heron on their first European run, it’s two days unflinching in their quality.
I’ve sweated this fest pretty much since its inception, not the least so I could go to the place on earth that has Colour Haze as the house band. Someday, maybe. In the meantime, the daydreaming helps keep my mind loose, and that’s a good thing because gawd forbid one should be able to concentrate on a thing basically ever.
From social media:
KEEP IT LOW #11 – ⚡️DAY SPLIT IS HERE + NEW BANDS ANNOUNCED!⚡️
Hey Keepers,
It’s time to plan your riffs – the day split for Keep It Low Festival 2025 is here!
Check out which bands are tearing down the stage on which day – and yes: day tickets are now available! 🔥
Friday: Colour Haze • My Sleeping Karma • Conan • Siena Root • The Great Machine • Kanaan • Bikini Beach • Thra
Saturday: Graveyard • Bongripper • The Obsessed („The Church Within“ set) • Lowrider • Mondo Generator • The Vintage Caravan • Rotor • Psychlona • High Desert Queen • Ritual Kings • Kant • Blue Heron • Hidas • Godsleep
Joining the lineup: Godsleep, Rotor & Bikini Beach – welcome to the madness!
🗓️ 10 & 11 October 2025 📍 Backstage, Munich, Germany
Posted in Whathaveyou on May 5th, 2025 by JJ Koczan
Here’s a daydream for you. Hop on a plane and land somewhere in Spain that’s (quite literally, as I understand it) out of a Sergio Leone film to see three full days of international quality heavy from Mondo Generator and Unida and Nightstalker on down to Xispa and the Wild Pigs. I’m assuming the six tickets that were left when Tabernas Desert Rock Fest 2025 posted its full lineup the other day are long gone by now, or if not, congratulations if you’re one of the last six. I’ve talked to people who’ve been to this one and it looks amazing. Think of an experiential festival, kind of like Duna Jam or Bear Stone, but in an old-style Western setting.
And not to harp on it, but the lineup is really solid. I’m less familiar with Convoy or Scrotem or Baläte near the bottom of the poster, though at least the latter have played before, but with the likes of High Desert Queen, Kal-El, Rotor, TempleFang, Godsleep, Ritual King and Tankzilla, it’s a cross-generational assemblage limited to 300 tickets and what seems to be an intimate setting that, at very least, is going to look incredible when you share the photos of everyone ripping it up. This is one I’ve been keeping up with for the last few years, and I think it’s easy to see why when you check the bill.
Again, I’m assuming those six tickets are gone, but you never know until you reach out at the email below:
So now here it is, our official confirmed LINE-UP for 2025 edition, with still one surprise ;-) = ENJOY!
WE ONLY HAVE 6 TICKETS LEFT, GET YOURS NOW BY MAIL:
Posted in Whathaveyou on January 3rd, 2025 by JJ Koczan
There are some powerful performers here between the likes of Croatian progonauts Seven That Spells, the fury-prone heavy rock/metal wrought by Godsleep and the classic classy class class class (plus charm) of watching The Bevis Frond on stage, but both that and the aural variety are to be expected from Down the Hill, which with this announcement reveals the first of its 2025 lineup. Set to take place over two days in Belgium this August, the festival has yet to give any word on who’ll be headlining this year’s edition, but with Swiss psych-prog instrumentalist mainstays Monkey3 and the aforementioned The Bevis Frond at the top of the poster-thus-far, you couldn’t really call the initial reveal lacking. Good on Travo getting out, too.
Early-bird tickets — as opposed to the super-early-birds, which, yes, were a thing, and I believe are sold out — go on sale as of today. The Frédéric Genêt poster (with more names to come) and announcement text follow here, as per the ol’ social medias:
A New Year and the First Wave of Bands!
The wait is over! We’re thrilled to unveil the first 10 bands that will electrify our stages. From psychedelic legends to rising stars, this year’s lineup promises an unforgettable mix of powerful performances, mind-blowing riffs, and immersive soundscapes. Whether you’re here for the heavy grooves or dreamy melodies, there’s something for everyone. Let’s dive into the first wave of confirmed acts:
monkey3
Prepare to be mesmerized by the Swiss masters of instrumental psychedelia. Monkey3 delivers immersive, cosmic journeys that blend stoner rock with progressive elements. A guaranteed mind-expanding experience you don’t want to miss!
The Bevis Frond
With over three decades of psychedelic rock brilliance, The Bevis Frond remains a cult favorite. Nick Saloman’s timeless melodies and fiery guitar work will transport you to another dimension. A must-see for fans of classic psych-rock.
Hemelbestormer
Belgium’s own post-metal titans, Hemelbestormer, craft massive, cinematic soundscapes that are equal parts heavy and atmospheric. Their live shows are an intense, hypnotic experience. Prepare to be overwhelmed in the best way possible.
Seven That Spells
Croatia’s psychedelic warriors, Seven That Spells, are known for their explosive and experimental live performances. With a fusion of krautrock, prog, and heavy psych, they deliver music that defies boundaries. Expect chaos, energy, and pure sonic magic.
Godsleep
Hailing from Greece, Godsleep brings thunderous stoner rock grooves infused with bluesy riffs and soulful vocals. Their high-energy performance will have the crowd moving from the first note to the last. Get ready to rock out!
Apex Ten
This up-and-coming band is a force to be reckoned with in the alternative rock scene. Apex Ten combines intricate melodies and dynamic arrangements for a fresh, modern sound. Don’t sleep on this rising star!
Wheel of Smoke
A hidden gem from Belgium’s underground rock scene, Wheel Of Smoke delivers a unique blend of space rock and psychedelia. Their atmospheric jams and groovy rhythms will take you on a sonic journey. Let them light your fire!
Travo
Travo’s gritty, blues-infused rock ‘n’ roll is raw, intense, and utterly captivating. Their sound pays homage to classic rock while carving out its own rebellious identity. A perfect addition to this year’s lineup.
MOTOR!K
Dive into the hypnotic world of Motor!k, a Belgian band that channels the spirit of krautrock legends. Pulsating rhythms, repetitive grooves, and a touch of modern flair create an entrancing live experience. Perfect for fans of Neu! and Can.
Capitan
This promising new act is making waves with their fresh take on alternative rock. Capitan blends catchy hooks, introspective lyrics, and powerful instrumentation to create a sound that sticks. A band to watch as they rise to the top!
Stay tuned for more lineup announcements, and grab your tickets tomorrow at 5PM!
We’re thrilled to unveil our 2025 artwork, crafted by the incredibly talented Frédéric Genêt! 🎨✨ His unique style and impeccable attention to detail bring our vision to life in the most stunning way.
Rain’s back on early in the day. I forewent Doom Yoga and hotel breakfast in favor of sleeping an extra hour. Time will tell on that choice. My head is swimming in last-day logistics; how I’m getting back to the hotel tonight, how and when I’m getting to Frankfurt Airport tomorrow, on and on. So yes, wet and scatterbrained. One or the other would be enough on its own. Poncho may yet make an appearance.
A few people have asked how my mother is doing. First, thank you for reading. I feel like I’ve transposed the haphazardly way this trip ended up being undertaken onto a kind of overarching mania of the experience, but one way or the other, it’s still restorative. She’s recovering from having her knee replaced on Wednesday, is walking, had started physical therapy. These things are months in the healing, but she’s strong and inspiring.
Though it shows little sign of it at the moment, the rain is supposed to stop this afternoon. We’ll see. I was sitting before the start of the show in the smoking tent; the wafting of joint smoke inexplicably cut with tobacco as is the method. Not my thing. I barely had the batteries in the camera when Volker took the stage and it was time to roll, so take that, last-day blues. Good thing my new Freak Valley hoodie is warm.
Sorry in advance for the typos.
—
Splinter
Thank you to Splinter for being the day’s reminder that everything’s okay when the music starts. The Netherlands based classic-heavy four-piece fronted by Douwe Truijens had the Hammond, the boogie, enough sleaze in some of their lyrics to feel like a #metoo waiting to happen (looking at you, “Soviet Schoolgirl,” et al), but there’s no denying the life in their performance. Rain pouring down on the early crowd, Truijens was nonetheless on fire strutting and dancing around the stage with moves drawn from an arena-ready playbook, plus shorty-shorts for the last song because when you’re doing a thing, you go for it. They were tight in addition to putting on a show, and “Every Circus Needs a Clown” from last year’s Role Models (review here) was a highlight in presentation and from-speaker force to go with the conceptual foundation of what they do. That is to say, they’re a band with a plan. And that’s not a negative at all. The songs are catchy and uptempo, fun if you can get on board with euphemism, and it’s over-the-top in just the way it’s supposed to be. Echoing the energetic start of yesterday, pushing it further, Splinter made a field on a cold, rainy afternoon feel like a sweaty nightclub, and for that, one can only be grateful.
Gravy Jones
Uh oh, I think I might dig this band. Another full-size Hammond on stage, cult-ish, classic-ish riffy vibe. I recall digging the Norwegian four-piece’s 2018 debut, Funeral Pyre (review here), for the quirk it brought to genre tropes, but the apparently-don’t-do-this-all-the-time outfit were more cohesive on stage, solid in groove, hinting or maybe more with that organ toward retroist dark-boogie, and on point in the interplay of the keys and guitar. The bluesy but not caricature vocals specifically reminded me of Buffalo, but if Gravy Jones only want you for your body, they’re almost certainly nefarious in that intent. At least some of what they played was taken from an impending follow-up to Funeral Pyre, as was announced from the stage, and wherever/whenever, I take that as good news in terms of such a thing existing at all. Because I just might end up a fan of this band. You know how that happens? Hear a thing. “Oh that’s cool.” Six years pass. You see them. “Oh shit that’s cool.” It was kind of like that watching them close out with “Mountains of Madness.” If you’ll excuse me, I’m gonna go see if they’ve got anything going at the merch.
Deathchant
My prevailing impression of L.A.’s Deathchant holds firm from seeing them last August at SonicBlast in Portugal (review here), and to save you the time following that link, I’ll just say it’s thar they kick ass. Two guitars that can lean into Thin Lizzy harmonies or thrash out at will, doomly in the title-track of Thrones, which they released last Fall, but gnarly and ripping at any speed, it’s like they play both the Heavy and the Metal sides of heavy metal, but they’re not doing some bullshit disaffected-white-dude aggro thing either. They get on stage, hit it, and groove with tonal presence regardless of a given part’s intensity, drawing from metal and rock on the way, charged and precise, but not so clear in sound as to lose their edge. Perhaps they’re subject to the perils of the band in-between, when it comes to style: too metal for some rockers, too rock for some metallers, but shit, I like bands who don’t fit (also bands who do; in no way does it have to be one or the other, remember), and they played a yet-untitled shouty new song and decided on the spot to call it “Freak Valley.” It ruled and I hope they keep the name. They should probably also have six or seven live records out by now, by rights. I’ll hope to see them again at Desertfest New York later this year.
Mouth
It didn’t take Mouth long to reroute the momentum from Deathchant’s raw Motõrheaded thrust to suit their proggier psychedelic purposes, and the sun came out for them, which can only be called appropriate. I did some liner notes recently for their Vortex Redux semi-reissue LP, and well, I’ll tell you truly, they’re not a band I ever really expected to see live. I mean, it’s a universe of infinite possibility, right? So a thing always could happen, but that doesn’t mean it will. And they were so much fun. Into the music, not trying to convince you that being on stage and playing their songs isn’t the most fun thing in the world. A positive vibe, energy front to back. There was one point where guitarist/vocalist Christian Koller went on his back on the stage while playing a solo and all I could think about was how much of John Dwyer’s dried-up spit from last night must be on there, but beyond that, not a worry in the world while watching them, and their affinities for ’60s psych, ’70s prog and multiple eras of heavy rock came through with poise and passion alike. The keyboard and snare jabs in “Into the Lines” and the slew of builds throughout were exciting and well crafted, and they put everything they had into the show. They weren’t a surprise for me, but it’s kind of a relief sometimes when you see a band you’ve followed for a while and they validate the reasons you liked them in the first place. Mouth did that and improved the weather. That’s a high point in any day.
Black River Delta
Swedish mellow heavy blues rock. Oldschool in ideology, modern in tone. It always takes me a second to stop listening for the stoner to show up when Freak Valley breaks out the bluesier stuff, but Black River Delta did well in the dinnertime slot. And immediately upon thinking of it as that, I realized I was starving. No goulash, but a vegan curry — no I’m not vegan, but probably should be, not the least because it would allow me to subsist exclusively on a variety of homeground nut butters — was the thing. Green beans, carrots, broccoli, onions and peppers of course, but most crucially there were four — yes, I counted, it was four — bites of cauliflower. Cauliflower! For upwards of six minutes while Black River Delta nestled into one comfortable flow after another, I found paradise. By the time another 15 minutes had passed, they’d be finished with their sharply composed and executed fare, delivered smoothly and suited to the style bringing together contemporary and classic as so many here have, but in their own way. And soon after that, the rain would start again, but since it was between bands and Black River Delta were so classy anyhow, I won’t hold it against them. It poured for a minute there, though.
Godsleep
And stopped doing so about 35 seconds after I ran away from the photo pit to get away from the deluge coming down from the roof overhang in front of the stage while Greece’s Godsleep were getting going. I was curious what series of circumstances brought a Rutgers football t-shirt into vocalist Amie Makris’ life — I got a MFA from Rutgers Newark, and my wife did her Ph.D. in New Brunswick; you don’t see a lot of Newjerseynalia in other countries [edit: I asked her later at the merch area and she said she got it from her sister] — but the shirt didn’t last much longer than the rain, and Godsleep’s material had so much push and sweep that the thought was in and out of my head like some kind of asshole who just flies in for the festival and then is gone. They slowed down a bit for the delightfully ’90s-reminiscent “Saturday,” which was a highlight of last Spring’s all-over-the-place-and-only-more-rad-for-it Lies to Survive (review here), but as that record will demonstrate, there’s no lack of variety in what they do regardless of tempo. Not being exclusively sad, slow and miserable, there are aspects of Godsleep’s aesthetic I can relate to more than others, but almost any in-genre boundary pushing is good news as far as I’m concerned, “Permanent Vacation” sort of bridges worlds between explosion-happens-now and more methodical whathaveyou. I found that their harsher moments were complement rather than contrast to the odd bit of desert riffing and sundry other lessons in kicking ass on display. Split LP with Ruff Majik post-haste, please. Both with some screaming, while I’m making requests. Dizzying but undizzied, intermittently furious, deceptively intricate, and rad. They finished by bringing it all back around to the riffs and were better than the veggie curry. Yup. That’s the review.
Speck
Mellow molten instrumentalism from Vienna trio Speck, whose expanses soothed with considerably more cosmic warmth than is offered by, say, actual space. It was my first time seeing the band, whose second album, Eine Gute Reise, came out last Fall, and it took them a while to get going, sure enough, but more, it took me a couple minutes to warm up to it, but all of a sudden I looked up and they were killing it. They’d continue to do so even as a torrential, bucket-style downpour took hold, adding another layer of soak to the already saturated everything and causing a scramble for shelter for some and a very pointed not-scramble from others, which I can respect. Rockpalast has a small tent set up outside the production truck backstage with a tv showing the livestream feed, right next to Lulu’s Garden, and I took advantage of that to wait out the deluge. It didn’t last — it couldn’t or it’d be Freak Lake Festival — but it was harder even than the rain before, and if you were caught in it, you know that’s saying something. I eventually made my way further back to sit someplace drier, but listened as Speck brought their set-long build to its payoff, and I couldn’t help but wonder if the livestream mics picked up the sound of the rain pounding down. If so, all the more reason they should make it into a live record. People mud-moshing like a hippie version of whatever Woodstock that was.
Amyl and the Sniffers
Thrills and such from brash, hard-hitting Aussie punk rockers Amyl and the Sniffers. When they were announced as a headliner, it kind of had me scratching my head, but obviously seeing them you get it in a different way. Their frontwoman, Amyl, came out in an overcoat and stripped it off to reveal her undies while singing a line I interpreted as “I like power,” so yes, if that’s what it was, then clearly. Not gonna take away from the statement or the volume that coincided, but on my coolest day I was never cool enough to be a punker, and today’s certainly not my coolest day. Still, can’t really argue with the ass kicking meted out, and after a certain point, loud groove is loud groove. They shouted out countrymen outfit C.O.F.F.I.N., who played the other day, which was nice, en route to the next onslaught. Rain stopped and started, as it has for most of the day.
I just kind of hung around and let both the noise and the water falling from the sky — because this planet is incredible and to our present knowledge completely unique in the universe in being able to support life and water is why and we treat it like shit; by the way I’m getting on a plane tomorrow morning, so I’m not indemnifying myself, rest assured; if you’re alive to read this you’re complicit there — wash over me while making the rounds saying a few quick goodbyes/hope-to-see-you-next-years. The harsh reality of needing to head to the airport early tomorrow has set in, so better to take care of that earlier than to feel bad about it later. There are a lot of very nice people here, and they are kind to me, and talk to me. I don’t have the kind of brain that always translates being happy to see someone into a smile on my face, but even if you just said hi this weekend, please know it was appreciated. I guess I’m saying goodnight there, too. Guess I got sidetracked talking about Amyl and the Sniffers. Okay.
Kadavar
The one and only. Because as many imitators as they’ve spawned, Kadavar on a level of their own. I knew to expect good things from their still-relatively-recent four-piece incarnation from seeing them play last summer at the aforementioned SonicBlast (review here), and god damn, they’re about as headliner as you get when they take the stage at something like this. They’ve been recording — for what, I don’t know, but I’ve got my hopes — rather than the old tour-tour-tour thing, while it was killer to hear Lupus Lindemann up on stage speak to the crowd in his (and most of their, I assume) native language. He, Tiger, Dragon and Jascha Kreft — last I checked, the ‘new guy’ hadn’t chosen a spirit animal — took the stage to defy the supposition that rock and roll has no more heroes, and while they’re a professional band putting on a show for an audience, on doing so, they throw down like no one else in this thing. “Doomsday Machine” into “Come Back Life” at the start? Come on. I hung around for a few songs, which was a choice facilitated by either the rain mostly stopping or my new Freak Valley hoodie just being soaked enough that I didn’t notice, then made my way out with more than a tinge of sadness at it being over, but secure in the knowledge I’ll see Kadavar again this summer, barring disaster, and as I arrived at the hotel after hailing a cab like the New York metro, throw-your-arm-out-just-at-the-right-time-to-catch-the-driver, it occurred to me to put on the Rockpalast stream. So I got to watch “I Fly Among the Stars” and so on that way. Scrolling back told me I missed “Black Sun” and the clap-along to “Die Baby Die” while in transit, which is a little sad, but I’m grateful for what I got.
—
The same applies to the festival as a whole. I’m grateful for everything I saw and heard — whether it was in accord with my everyday listening habits or not — over the last three days, grateful to Jens for having me over, for Falk watching out for me in the photo pit, to Alex, Marcus, Jamie, and Basti for the rides, and to you for reading any of it if you did. As she often is concerning a wide variety of subjects, The Patient Mrs. was right to give me the push out the door I needed. Such as I’m a duck, I’m a lucky one.
If I have time, I’ll do kind of an epilogue tomorrow, if not, probably Friday, which is probably what I’d prefer to allow for a little actual-processing/distance. We’ll see. Either way, thank you again. More pics after the jump.
Posted in Whathaveyou on January 23rd, 2024 by JJ Koczan
Pretty rad bill out of the gate for Rock Im Wald, which tops its thus-far bill with Danko Jones, who should be made an ambassador for Canada by now, as well as Sweden’s Graveyard, might-have-a-new-record-out-by-July UK stompers Orange Goblin, and the Brant Bjork Trio with its namesake on guitar and Mario Lalli on bass. Then you get into Planet of Zeus coming from Greece — maybe touring with Godsleep? — an appearance from The Devil and the Almighty Blues, which doesn’t happen all the time and you want to be there when it does, and the implied confirmation of summer European activity for High Desert Queen out of Texas, and it’s a win even before you get down to The Great Machine‘s madcap performance penchant, the upstarts Margarita Witch Cult, El Caco who released their first album in seven years in 2023, a partially-revamped Asomvel and Psychonaut‘s post-metallic texturing. It’s 13 bands. They’ve all got something going on.
The fest is set for July 25-27. Both SonicBlast and Hoflärm (in Portugal and Germany, respectively) are two weeks later, Aug. 8-10. Among the shared confirmations there are Brant Bjork Trio (who also announced a Spring run around the Desertfests and Sonic Whip) and Graveyard (for SonicBlast), so fair enough to expect tour announcements to come from them, and I’ll add Planet of Zeus and Margarita Witch Cult to that with an asterisk for ‘likely’ since of course I never actually know anything about anything.
There will be more to come, of course — it’s a three-dayer — and I’ll do my best to keep an eye out, but already there’s a lot to dig here. From socials:
We are delighted to present the first 13 bands for our Rock im Wald Festival 2024, taking place from July 25th to 27th. As always, we have once again given our best to offer you Rock’n Roll in its most beautiful facets. And there is more to come soon, of course. Finally, we aim to provide you with three festival days filled with musical surprises and highlights this year.
For those of you who are already convinced, you can now secure your tickets in our ticket shop, which can be found at the following link. https://rockimwald.de/ticket-shop/ Cheers & Peace Eure #RIW Crew
Line-Up so far: DANKO JONES | GRAVEYARD | ORANGE GOBLIN | BRANT BJORK TRIO | PLANET OF ZEUS | THE DEVIL & THE ALMIGHTY BLUES | THE GREAT MACHINE | PSYCHONAUT | EL CACO | ASOMVEL | GODSLEEP | HIGH DESERT QUEEN | MARGARITA WITCH CULT
Posted in Whathaveyou on October 19th, 2023 by JJ Koczan
I wrote part of the second announcement from Freak Valley Festival 2024 just yesterday, as it was a surprise that the batch of bands being added were all ready to go at some late notice. Not to say I mind, just that this is all pretty fresh in my head. Apparently Amyl and the Sniffers are big enough to come from Australia and headline in Germany, which is news to me, but that’s cool and something different is welcome alongside such familiar entities as Monolord and Kadavar and 1000mods.
There’s a lot here I’m looking forward to seeing, even just having caught Kadavar in August. With Douwe from Splinter having been in Death Alley, it’ll be great to see him again, and to witness bands like Slomosa, Godsleep, Daevar and Fuzzy Grass is to look at where European heavy rock is headed. The answer to that question, incidentally, is “everywhere.” With riffs.
The sentences with the bands are mine, and I did a little work on the second paragraph with the memories and all that. And you know the only reason I mention it is because I’m trying to keep track for myself however many years from now.
Dig:
(#127928#) Freak Valley Festival 2024 Lineup Announcement (#127928#)
Freak Valley 2024 is set for May 30 – June 1.
Get ready to rock your world at Freak Valley Festival 2024! We’re thrilled to announce an epic lineup featuring some of the hottest acts in the international underground. Join us for a weekend of nonstop music, unforgettable vibe, and memories waiting to be made.
(#129304#) Bands you can’t miss:
(#127908#) Amyl and The Sniffers: Coming all the way from Melbourne, Australia, these raucous punkers will shake things up for sure. What, you thought it was all going to be meditative heavy prog-psych?
(#128293#) Kadavar: They’re only one of the best bands of their generation. No introduction needed. Welcome back Kadavar!
(#128165#) Godsleep: These Athenian aural adventurers release ‘Lies to Survive’ earlier this year and absolutely blew us away with their scope and songwriting. Up next: see how they do it in-person! Can’t wait.
(#127775#) Deathchant: Shredding at the place where classic rock and heavy metal meet, Deathchant are a well kept secret until you see them and can’t shut up about how good they are.
(#127926#) Splinter: Hot on the heels of their second album ‘Role Models,’ Splinter foster roughed-up vintage glam heavy and from “Velvet Scam” to “Forbidden Kicks,” it’ll be a party second to none when they hit the FVF stage for the first time.
(#128266#) Here’s the star-studded lineup:
Monolord – 1000mods – Dÿse – Slomosa – Alex Henry Foster – Mouth – Speck – Demonauta – Full Earth – Fuzzy Grass – Daevar
All killers, no fillers. That’s how we do it, freaks. Get your tickets now because they’ll be gone before you know it.
Don’t miss the chance to be part of the ultimate music experience. Mark your calendars for Freak Valley Festival 2024 – it’s going to be legendary!
Posted in Whathaveyou on August 3rd, 2023 by JJ Koczan
The play-whatever-the-hell-they-want Athenian heavy troupe Godsleep released their latest album, Lies to Survive (review here) earlier in 2023 through Ouga Booga and the Mighty Oug and Threechords Records, and when they did so in Spring, they undertook a pretty significant tour to support it. That makes the upcoming ‘Permanent Vacation’ run — which takes its name from one of the songs on the record; I doubt they’re huge Aerosmith fans, but you never know — their second such stint of the year, and I think it’s even bigger. Starting in September, it carries them into December with a steady amount of live activity, and the band assures below that there’s more to come. It says it right there on the poster.
And about the poster. Usually it’s my modus to transcribe tour dates from a poster so that I can have the shows searchable by text. You never know when, eight years from now, you might need to know what date Godsleep hit Mixtape 5 in Sofia, Bulgaria, for whatever reason. I would do that here, but the wretched truth is I’m pressed for time and I wanted to post about the tour, so in the balance of writing out this entire covers-three-months list or posting about it at all, I went with the latter. I do hope that you’ll forgive me for skipping this usual step that I have absolutely no doubt you wouldn’t have noticed was missing at all if I didn’t mention it because, and here’s another wretched truth, I remain the only one who gives a crap about that kind of thing. So be it.
If you click the poster, the image gets big enough to read. If you click it again — or just give it a nudge with your finger if you’re on your fancyphone — it’ll go away. I promise I’m doing my best.
Their announcement on socials was short and appears below:
GODSLEEP – Permanent Vacation European Tour 2023
We are really happy to be back on the road this Fall to visit old friends but also excited to meet some of you for the first time!
These are the first dates of our “Permanent Vacation” tour and we will announce more dates shortly!
Let us know if we missed anything !
Powdered by: Ouga Booga and the Mighty Oug / Tuned Tools Guitar Lab
