Posted in Whathaveyou on April 2nd, 2025 by JJ Koczan
Sweden’s Graveyard move to the head of the class on the Up in Smoke 2025 poster. The headliners are one of four acts being announced in the latest word from Switzerland’s fall festival, Up in Smoke. The Sound of Liberation-backed three-dayer has also brought on Galactic Superlords, whose 2024 single “Heartbeat” is streaming below, Israeli trio The Great Machine, who are both heavy as hell and sure to be wackadoo on stage, and Wolfer, whose intense atmosludge stylings I’d never encountered before this post but it turns out are pretty awesome. This is why I like fest announcements.
Wolfer‘s 2024 apparently-debut LP, Hey Lester!, is also at the bottom of this post. Dig that foreboding fuzz, explosion and roll of “Your Glory.” It was released in September, on Humus Records. I hadn’t heard it before. The band are from Bern. You might also enjoy digging in. ‘Gaze vibes and impact.
I’m sure you already heard it, but after like 40 years, the novelty of checking out something I haven’t heard before and enjoying it hasn’t worn off. I assume it will when I’m dead.
Here’s the latest from the fest:
⚡️UP IN SMOKE 2025 – NEW BAND ANNOUNCEMENT⚡️
Hey Smokers,
The fire keeps burning – we’re stoked to add FOUR more killer bands to this year’s Up In Smoke lineup! 🔥
GRAVEYARD – Sweden’s heavy blues masters are back to shake the walls of Z7!
GALACTIC SUPERLORDS – High-energy hard rock straight from the depths of space!
THE GREAT MACHINE – Raw, fuzzy, and full of sonic chaos – get ready!
WOLFER – A wild ride of heavy grooves and pure rock ’n’ roll madness!
This lineup is getting louder and heavier by the day – and we’re still not done! More bands to be announced soon… 👀
Get your tickets now via the link in bio and join us from October 3 – 5, 2025 at Konzertfabrik Z7 in Pratteln! 🎫
Posted in Whathaveyou on March 11th, 2025 by JJ Koczan
Perhaps some extra interest in seeing how the lineup for Desertfest Belgium 2025 takes shape over the next few months considering how heartwrenching the bill for 2024 was. They have not gone small to answer that question in this first reveal — you can see the names for yourself on the poster below — which covers a range of styles and has an according geographic reach. Note New Mexico’s Blue Heron taking part, supporting their rightfully-well-received 2024 LP, Everything Fades (review here), and note Lowrider because it’s notable anytime they play anywhere. Go them both, along with the rest, if you can.
As regards “the rest,” the names are their own best argument, I guess. Desertfest Belgium has become an integral part of the Fall underground touring circuit, a nexus point where various individual tours converge and split off again, so I’ll be interested to see, say, who The Obsessed will be out with, or how many times in your life you might be able to say you saw Colour Haze and Lowrider on a bill together in 2025. Just for examples.
So yeah, good start. Take their word for it in the “much more to be announced” part too. From socials:
FIRST NAMES! GRAVEYARD, BONGRIPPER, MASTERS OF REALITY & MORE!
Hi Desertfans,
Are you ready to rip it up? Here are the first names for Desertfest Antwerp 2025!
We’re very excited to welcome this divine & dangerous bunch to our stages:
Graveyard 🌑 BONGRIPPER 🌑 Masters Of Reality 🌑 Oranssi Pazuzu 🌑 The Obsessed 🌑 Bongzilla 🌑 monkey3 🌑 Lowrider 🌑 Colour Haze 🌑 Mars Red Sky 🌑 Psychlona 🌑 NEGATIVE BLAST 🌑 Alber Jupiter 🌑 Hedonist 🌑 Blue Heron
If you are as delighted as we are then head over to our ticket page below and grab a weekend pass for a guaranteed three days of sonic delirium 🪐
Posted in Whathaveyou on December 5th, 2024 by JJ Koczan
I’m with Hoflärm on this one. After 24 years of writing out the full year all the time — it was worst in the aughts, admittedly, but I’m still more inclined to type 2024 instead of just ’24 — it’s time to admit that we’re probably talking about this century rather than the previous one when it comes to a festival announcing a lineup for, say, months in the future. So, as you can see on the poster below, Hoflärm ’25 is not only doing this, but doing it with a banger of a lineup to support its argument. Plus, my understanding is the fest has a pretty casual vibe anyhow — I’ve never heard a bad word about it from either anyone who has attended or played — so the ’25 fits. Wait until the ’40s.
Graveyard and Monolord at the top of the bill is a winning opening salvo from the German three-dayer, but that’s really just the tip of the riffberg, with Rezn and Elephant Tree, MaidaVale, The Warlocks and Mexico’s Vinnum Sabbathi taking part, Khan coming from Australia, Annie Taylor and her band from Switzerland, Spirit Mother making a return to Europe, Coltaine supporting their new album, plus Vug, Piece and Lurch and more to come. Nothing to complain about as they put tickets on sale for those who might be fortunate enough to make the trip from wherever. I expect a few of these will have tours around them — Khan, Spirit Mother, Rezn, Vinnum Sabbathi — so that will be worth keeping an eye on, but whatever shakes out in that regard, Hoflärm looks sweet as hell.
From social media, which was a thing back in the ’20s:
⚡️ Hoflärm 2025 – Satan‘s Finest ⚡️
The goat cult continues – First Bands + Presale Start 🪦
We thrilled to announce that we are back – 14. – 16.08.2025 – Tickets are now an sale. Link in Bio 🐐
Please welcome the first bands for 2025:
@graveyardmusic and @monolordofficial will headline Friday and Saturday of @hoflaerm 2025!
We are more than happy to welcome Monolord again after their cancellation in 2022!
We are proud to announce Graveyard as festival headliner! This band has been an elementary companion since the first idea for this festival.
@rezzzn , @elephant_tree_band and @pieceismetal are going to open the fields of doom!
@thewarlocks , @maidavaleband @khanbandofficial and @lurch.band are here to trip with you through the cosmic clouds above!
Shake your knees to @annietaylorband , @vug.band and @spiritmotherband while you walk through the dark woods around Hoflärm with @vinnumsabbathiband and @coltaine !
Posted in Whathaveyou on December 3rd, 2024 by JJ Koczan
Well damn, I guess Desertfest Oslo is going big for year two. And no, I’m not just talking about the dirty distorted longform doom riffing and echoes of Slor‘s debut album, Journey to the Space Temple, released earlier this year. This third announcement not only puts Sweden’s Graveyard at the top of the bill alongside the previously-confirmed Elder and gives the noted Icelandic newcomers a showcase to grab ears and eyes, but brings dudely doom-blues crushers Eagle Twin and Norway’s own Cult Member to the proceedings as well. Four bands, each offering something different from the others. If you’d expect less from Desertfest Oslo because it’s just the sophomore edition, all I can say is that’s Desertfest.
Part of the team behind this one is also responsible for Høstsabbat, held each October in Oslo, and both Graveyard and Eagle Twin have featured there in the past, and I’m pretty sure Cult Member played in 2023 or somewhere thereabouts. This announcement begins a series of weekly reveals for Desertfest Oslo aligned to advent Sundays leading up to the Xmas holiday, so look out for three more to come. I don’t know whether or not that will be the full bill — the fest takes place across three venues, Rockefeller, John Dee and Revolver, so there’s plenty of room — or if there’s more to come in 2025, but I’m curious to find out and not just because I’m hoping to make the trip to be there for this one. As the fest notes below, “May can’t come soon enough.”
For your early-winter blues, daydreams of Spring (though actually I bet Norway’s still chilly in May):
Desertfest Oslo 2025 is gonna be total mayhem, and we welcome Swedish legends, and one of the best live bands there is, Graveyard, to town to sweep us into their lush heaven of brilliant, blues laden, proto rock extraordinaire.
Following them, we almost can’t believe we managed to put Eagle Twin on next years bill!
The heaviest and most influential two piece there is. Eagle Twin will leave you speechless and numb. Jaw-drop guaranteed.
Norwegian north pole hardcore can never go wrong.
The marvelous, ridiculous and mind bending chug-o-rama from Cult Member, will surely put the perfect tongue-in-cheek-grin on everyone’s face. You may need to pack an extra t-shirt for this concert.
May can’t come soon enough.
The last band of today is a band for tomorrow. Slor brings the Dorset-doom to Oslo, with their very own Icelandic twist to their downtuned, bottomless heaviness.
Slor might be a new name for many of you, but we know you’re gonna ramble about them after Desertfest.
Make sure to get your tickets – you don’t wanna miss Desertfest Oslo 2025!
Posted in Whathaveyou on November 25th, 2024 by JJ Koczan
A lot to like in the batch of new names added to Sonic Whip in the Netherlands this coming May. The 2025 Nijmegen edition of the festival has announced Dutch upstarts Heath will play — reasonable — and brought on Graveyard, who immediately go to the top of the bill and are playing for the first time — and punctuated noise rock masters Whores., the ambient Orsak:Oslo, as well as Utrecht heavy punkers Rats and Daggers and Los Angeles’ own Frankie and the Witch Fingers for those who’d dare a little fun while they have a good time.
As Lord Buffalo are also added, I can’t help but wonder if the Austin-based outfit won’t do a tour around this appearance, and if so, I believe that’s their first European jaunt. Don’t quote me on that, I could be wrong. Either way, I’ll try to keep an eye for dates and, if they’re going to make a run of it, with whom.
The announcement was short and sweet, the lineup is righteous and by all accounts I’ve heard, Sonic Whip is an amazing time. Barring some never-gonna-happen fiscal miracle, I won’t be there to see it, but if you get to go, enjoy. Tickets are available. Here’s what they had to say on socials:
NEW NAMES SONIC WHIP 2025
We’re thrilled to announce Graveyard for Sonic Whip 2025! The appearance of the Swedish band will mark their debut at our festival. Judging by their blistering performances lately they are on fire! Also present on 16 & 17 May; US garage psychrockers Frankie And The Witch Fingers, noise-punk-sludge juggernauts Whores., Norwegian atmospheric kraut-jazz-psychrockers Orsak:Oslo, cinematic & melancholic rockers Lord Buffalo from the US, Dutch psych revelation Heath and upcoming sonic punkrockers of Rats and Daggers.
The line-up is shaping up nicely with Elder, The Devil and the Almighty Blues, Temple Fang and Karkara being announced earlier on and there’s still more to follow! Keep your eyes peeled.
Posted in Whathaveyou on November 6th, 2024 by JJ Koczan
I swear to you that as I stood in front of the main stage at this past summer’s Bear Stone Festival, I had the actual thought-in-my-brain, “King Buffalo would be incredible here.” And so they will. The Rochester forerunners of US heavy psych join Graveyard, Motorpsycho, The Vintage Caravan, El Perro and a cast of others in the first lineup for Bear Stone 2025, which will be held July 3-6. I don’t have a flight yet or anything, but it’s very much on my calendar in fingers-crossed-golly-I-hope-this-happens fashion, and if you want to take that as a recommendation for a place to try to put yourself if you can, do. This was an unhindered highlight of my 2024, and the 2025 edition already looks like it’s going to be even bigger.
I had the same thought about Ufomammut, by the way…
As with last year’s bill, the 2025 Bear Stone Festival pays particular attention to the regional underground. Representing Croatia are Killed a Fox, Peglica i Komandos, Portman, Bizon and Dark Tree Bark, while Lazarvs come from neighboring Hungary, Marcel Gidote’s Holy Crab are from the Czech Republic, and Savanah are from Austria. There’s also French psych rockers Karkara, and Atomic Mold and Oreyeon from Italy, and US garage rockers The Darts. Don’t worry Germany, I’m sure you’ll get a band in there soon.
It’s an impressive assemblage already and this is probably… a third? of the acts who’ll comprise the final lineup. Here’s official word from the PR wire:
Bear Stone Festival 2025: First Lineup Announced + Early Bear Tickets Now on Sale!
Bear Stone Festival 2025 marks a bold step forward in expanding the diverse range of genres we celebrate. While we remain rooted in the classics—Stoner Rock, Psychedelic Rock, and Doom Metal, along with everything in between—our 2024 edition teased an exciting exploration of modern subgenres that are oriented towards a modern fusion of Neo-Psychedelia dipped in Acid Rock that we’ll continue to explore in the future. Join us in our ever-lasting quest of musical exploration.
Even though we’re not big on statistics, we are particularly proud that 12 out of 17 bands that are forming the first part of our lineup were formed after 2012 and 8 out of 12 foreign bands will be coming to Croatia for the very first time!
Without further ado, we’re introducing the first 17 bands that will grace our stages in the upcoming edition.
Since forming in 2006 in Gothenburg, Sweden, Graveyard has carved out a distinct niche in the rock world with their gritty blend of Hard Rock, Psychedelia, and Blues, led by the powerful vocals and guitar of Joakim Nilsson. Rising to prominence after their self-titled debut in 2007, they quickly earned a reputation for raw, authentic rock with a dark, soulful edge.
After five acclaimed records and years of relentless touring, Graveyard’s latest album, “6”, continues their journey, adding introspective depth to their already renowned, riff-heavy sound.
KING BUFFALO (USA)
King Buffalo is a Rochester, New York-based Heavy Psych trio consisting of Sean McVay (vocals/guitar), Dan Reynolds (bass), and Scott Donaldson (drums). Since forming in 2013, they have earned recognition through numerous releases and extensive touring with bands like Clutch, Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats, and Elder.
Their latest album, “Regenerator” (September 2nd, 2022), is the third in their pandemic trilogy and further solidifies their sonic identity, establishing them as one of the brightest lights in underground Rock today.
MOTORPSYCHO (NOR)
Motorpsycho is a Norwegian band that fuses elements of Grunge, Heavy Metal, and Indie Rock with experimental, progressive soundscapes. Known for their genre-defying approach, they continuously push the boundaries of modern Rock with complex arrangements and sonic exploration.
THE VINTAGE CARAVAN (ISL)
The Vintage Caravan is an Icelandic trio that blends modern Prog Rock with Classic Rock influences, known for their energetic performances and skilled musicianship. Their latest album “Monuments” (2021) showcases their unique fusion of ’70s-inspired guitar work with fresh, Psychedelic, and Progressive Rock elements, solidifying their place as one of Europe’s standout rock acts.
LAZARVS (HU)
Budapest-based Lazarvs is a three-piece heavy rock band fronted by guitarist and songwriter Aron Andras, known for their raw energy and aggressive live performances. With a strong presence in Hungary and beyond, they have shared the stage with legends like Saint Vitus and Crowbar, and in 2023, they released their 5th studio album Blackest, showcasing their darkest and most refined sound yet, which they will continue to promote on their upcoming 2024 European and UK tour.
KARKARA (FR)
Karkara, a Psychedelic Rock trio from Toulouse, France, was formed in 2019 by Karim Rihani (guitar/vocals), Hugo Olive (bass/synth), and Maxime Marouani (drums/vocals). Drawing influence from bands like The Oh Sees, King Gizzard, and Black Sabbath, their sound is a hypnotic blend of Psych Rock, Stoner, and Krautrock, infused with Mediterranean elements. Known for their explosive live shows, they returned in 2024 with their third album, “All Is Dust”, a post-apocalyptic concept record.
THE DARTS (USA)
The Darts, an all-female Garage Rock band formed in 2016, blend Vintage Punk energy with modern Garage Rock grit. Known for their high-energy performances and bold sound, they’ve toured extensively across the US and Europe, earning praise from fans and media alike, with their latest album “Snake Oil” (2023) receiving rave reviews and sold-out shows.
KILLED A FOX (CRO)
Formed in 2006 in Zagreb, Croatia, Killed a Fox is a band known for blending heavy, rhythmic grooves with Psychedelic Rock influences and an electrifying live presence. With three albums under their belt, including the acclaimed “Crown Shyness” from 2019, they’ve become a fixture in the Croatian underground scene, sharing stages with bands like Alice in Chains and Orange Goblin. Currently, the band is working on their highly anticipated fourth album, slated for release in 2025.
EL PERRO (USA)
El Perro, led by Parker Griggs (Radio Moscow) and former Blues Pills guitarist Dorian Sorriaux, is a Heavy Psych supergroup blending Psychedelic Funk Rock with elements of Latin Rock, Soul, and Psych. Their fresh sound showcases blistering guitar work and high-energy Rock, while retaining the signature cranked guitar energy fans know from Griggs’ previous work.
PEGLICA I KOMANDOS (CRO)
Peglica i Komandos is a rock band from Zagreb, Croatia, that emerged from the Jeboton collective in 2014. Known for their psychedelic, progressive, and humour-laced Blues Rock, they’ve released two studio albums and one live album, captivating audiences with introspective yet often humorous lyrics and extended instrumental solos that make their live shows particularly engaging.
PORTMAN (CRO)
Portman is an instrumental band formed in 2004, known for blending Post-Rock with elements of Math Rock and ambient passages to create airy, atmospheric soundscapes. After releasing their debut “Pereskesije” in 2009 and “The Man Who Carries a Light” in 2013, the band has toured extensively and released their latest album, “Stamina” in July 2024.
OREYEON (ITA)
Formed in 2014 by members of bands like Woodwall and Mexican Mud, Oreyeon quickly made a mark on the Heavy Rock scene with their debut album “Builders of Cosmos” (2016). Drawing inspiration from the heavy music genre, especially Black Sabbath and Stoner Rock icons like The Sword, they deliver monolithic guitars, powerful bass, and intricate vocals that captivate fans of Classic and Stoner Rock alike.
SAVANAH (AT)
Hailing from Graz, Austria, Savanah is a Heavy Rock band that burst onto the scene in 2015 with their acclaimed debut “Deep Shades”. Known for their intricate improvisation and progressive sound, they deliver powerful riffs and mesmerising melodies, as showcased in their latest album “Olympus Mons” (2021), which reflects their evolution as musicians and has earned widespread acclaim.
BIZON (CRO)
Bizon is an instrumental rock duo from Split, Croatia, formed in 2012 by guitarist Luka Krstulović and drummer Dragan Ðokić. Known for their complex rhythms, distorted guitar riffs, and powerful soundscapes, Bizon released their latest album “Garnizon” on vinyl in 2023, drawing listeners into intense, looping sonic journeys filled with dissonant climaxes and expertly crafted effects.
MARCEL GIDOTE’S HOLY CRAB (CZ)
Established in 2019, Marcel Gidote’s Holy Crab is a Czech Psychedelic band known for their unique blend of Rock, Kraut, and Jazz influences, characterised by a modern sound. They gained recognition with their debut EP “Bay Of Roots” in 2020 and their self-produced album “Humidity Breaking Limits” in 2021, showcasing a more complex musical expression. Their latest album, “Farm Alarm”, highlights vocal harmonies and acoustic instrumentation while addressing the climate crisis, solidifying their status as one of the most progressive Psychedelic acts in the Czech Republic.
DARK TREE BARK (CRO)
Dark Tree Bark is a five-piece band from Zagreb, founded by guitarist and vocalist Josip Šustić, who gathered the current lineup in 2023. Blending Progressive Rock with elements of Post-Rock, Math Rock, Krautrock, and Jazz Rock, their debut album “Kameni spavač”, released in 2024, on Geenger Records, uses analog equipment to craft a rich, conceptual narrative that invites listener interpretation.
ATOMIC MOLD (ITA)
Atomic Mold, formed in 2014 in Italy, is a powerful instrumental band blending Psychedelic Stoner and Doom elements. Known for their visceral soundscapes and intense live performances, they’ve released several albums, including “Hybrid Slow Flood” and a split with Chilean band Arteaga, all while evolving through lineup changes and expanding their musical horizons.
Posted in Whathaveyou on December 20th, 2023 by JJ Koczan
Man, you ever feel like you’re crawling to the finish line? I’m doing news catchup the next couple days, and this announcement from SonicBlast Fest came out like last weekend or some such with a first round of lineup adds for the Aug. 2024 edition of the Portuguese heavy festival — it’s the 12th one — and as I sit here with my e’er expanding ass sinking e’er deeper into the couch I feel about as far removed as I could from, let’s say, the glorious nighttime walk across the beach in Âncora that I was lucky enough to be born to eventually undertake after a night at SonicBlast earlier this year.
Not only was it my first time in Portugal and Iberia, period, but I met people I never thought I’d get to meet, saw old friends and made new ones, and for a few days pretty much lived the festival ideal. You get there, see sets, go back, write, drink all the coffee, take pictures, write more, write more, eventually collapse from fatigue, then go home with a rejuvenated spirit. You know, fest life.
Submitted for your daydreams is the initial billing for SonicBlast Fest 2024, with the heavy, stoner, psych and punk and hardcore sides of the festival represented and a solid punch of names with Graveyard, Brant Bjork Trio, 1000mods and Truckfighters. Think this means Deathchant and Sacri Monti will tour Europe together? I do. Think it means Sacri Monti‘s album will be out by then? I hope so. Deathchant, who also played this year, are awesome, by the way.
Here’s news. Tickets are on sale already:
SONICBLAST FEST ’24 – Aug. 8-10
It’s getting hard to breathe… We’re so proud to announce the first bands for SonicBlast Fest’s 12th edition!! Viagra Boys, Graveyard, Wine Lips, Brant Bjork Trio, Sunami, Colour Haze, Home Front, Truckfighters, Poison Ruin, 1000mods, Sacri Monti, Maruja, Deathchant and Máquina will join us at the craziest heavy psychedelic weekend by the ocean ⚡🌊☀️
Posted in Reviews on October 2nd, 2023 by JJ Koczan
It’s been quite a morning. Got up at five, went back to sleep until six, took the dog out, lazily poured myself a coffee — the smell is like wood bark and bitter mud, so yes, the dark roast — and got down to set up this Quarterly Review. Not rushed, not at all overwhelmed by press releases about new albums or the fact that I’ve got 50 records I’m writing about this week, or any of it. Didn’t last, that stress-free sit-down — one of the hazards of being perfectly willing to be distracted at a moment’s notice is that that might happen — but it was nice while it did. And hey, the Quarterly Review is set up and ready to roll with 50 records between now and Friday. Let’s do that.
Quarterly Review #1-10:
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Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats, Slaughter on First Avenue
Recorded over two nights at First Avenue in Minneapolis sandwiching the pandemic in 2019 and 2022, Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats‘ 14-song/85-minute live album, Slaughter on First Avenue, is about as clean as you’re ever likely to hear the band sound. And the Rise Above-issued 2LP spans the garage doom innovators’ career, from “Dead Eyes of London” from 2010’s Vol. 1 (reissue review here) to “I See Through You” from 2018’s Wasteland (review here), with all the “Death’s Door” and “Thirteen Candles” and “Desert Ceremony” and “I’ll Cut You Down” you can handle, the addled and murderous bringers of melody and fuzz clear-eyed and methodical, professional, in their delivery. It sounds worked on, like, in the studio, the way oldschool live albums might’ve been. I don’t know that it was, don’t have a problem with that if it was, just noting that the sheer sound here is fantastic, whether it’s the separation between the two guitars and keys and each other, the distinction of the vocals, or the way even the snare drum seems to hit in kind with the vintage aspects of Uncle Acid‘s general production style. They clearly enjoy the crowd response to the older tunes like “I’ll Cut You Down” and “Death’s Door,” and well they should. Slaughter on First Avenue isn’t a new full-length, though they say one will eventually happen, but it’s a representation of their material in a new way for listeners, cleaner than their last two studio records, and a ceremony (or two) worth preserving.
Swedish retro soul rock forerunners Graveyard are on their way to being legends if they aren’t legends yet. Headliners at the absolute least, and the influence they had in the heavy ’10s on classic heavy as a style and boogie rock in particular can’t be discounted. Comprised of nine cuts, 6 is Graveyard‘s first offering of this decade, following behind 2018’s Peace (review here), and it continues their dual-trajectory in pairing together the slow, troubled-love woes emotionality of “Breathe In, Breathe Out,” “Sad Song” on which guitarist Joakim Nilsson relinquishes lead vocals, the early going of “Bright Lights,” and opener “Godnatt” — Swedish for “good night,” which the band tried to say in 2016 but it didn’t stick — setting up turns to shove in “Twice” and “Just a Drop” while “I Follow You,” closer “Rampant Fields” or the highlight “Just a Drop” finding some territory between the two ends. The bottom line here is it’s not the record I was hoping Graveyard would make, leaning slow and morose whereas when you could break out a groove like “Just a Drop” seemingly at will, why wouldn’t you? But that I even had those hopes tells you the caliber band they are, and whatever the tracks actually do, there’s no questioning them as songwriters. But the world could use some good times swagger, if only a half-hour of escapism, and Graveyard are perhaps too sincere to deliver. Fair enough.
The thing about Hexvessel that has been revealed over time is that each record is its own context. Grown out from the black metal history of UK-born/Helsinki-residing songwriter Mat “Kvohst” McNerney, the band returns to that fertile ground somewhat on the eight-song Polar Veil, applying veteran confidence to post-blackened genre transgressions. Songs like “A Cabin in Montana” and “Older Than the Gods” have some less-warlike Primordial vibes between the epic melodies and tremolo echoes, but in both the speedy intensity of “Eternal Meadow” and the later ethereally-doomed gruel of “Ring,” Hexvessel are distinctly themselves doing this thing. That is, they’re not changing who they are to suit the style they want to play — even the per-song stylistic shifts of 2016’s When We Are Death (review here) were their own, so that’s not necessarily new — but a departure from the dark progressive folk of 2020’s Kindred as McNerney, bassist Ville Hakonen, drummer Jukka Rämänen and pianist/keyboardist Kimmo Helén (also strings) welcome a curated-seeming selection of a few guest appearances spread across the release, always keeping mindful of ambience and mood however raging the tempest around them might be.
Bookended by its two longest songs in “Drink Some More” (8:44) and closer “Letter Full of Wine” (9:17), Munich-based troupe Godsground offer seven songs with their 47-minute third long-player, working quickly to bask in post-Alice in Chains melodies surrounded by a warmth of tone that could just as easily be derived from hometown heroes in Colour Haze as the likes of Sungrazer or anyone else, but there’s more happening in the sound than just that. The melodies reach out and the songs develop on paths so that “Balance” is a straight-up desert rocker where seven-minute centerpiece “Into the Butter” sounds readier to get weird. They are well at home in longer forms, flashing a bit of metal in teh later solo of the penultimate “Non Reflecting Mirror,” but the overarching focus on vocal melody grounds the material in its lyrics, and that helps stabilize some of the more out-there aspects. With the roller fuzz of “A Game of Light” and side B’s flow-into-push “Flood” finding space between all-out go and the longer songs’ willingness to dwell in parts, Godsground emerge from the collection with a varied style around a genre center that’s maybe delighted not to pick a side when it comes to playing toward this or that niche. There’s some undercurrent of doom — though I’ll admit the artwork had me looking for it — but Godsground are more coherent than bewildered, and their material unfolds with intent to immerse rather than commiserate.
Ambition abounds on Sleep Maps‘ Reclaim Chaos, as the once-NYC-based duo of multi-instrumentalist Ben Kaplan and vocalist David Kegg — finds somebody that writes you riffs like “Second Generation” and scream your ass off for them — bring textures of progressive metal, death metal, metal metal to the proceedings with their established post-whathaveyou modus. Would it be a surprise if I said it made them a less predictable band? I hope not. With attention to detail bolstered my a mix from Matt Bayles (Isis, Sandrider, etc.), the open spaces of “The Good Engineer” resonate in their layered vocals and drone, while “You Want What I Cannot Give” pummels, “In the Sun, In the Moon” brings the wash forward and capper “Kill the World” is duly still in conveying an apparent aftermath rather than the actual slaughter of the planet, which of course happened over a longer timeframe. All of this, and a good deal more, make Reclaim Chaos a heady feast — and that’s before you get to the ’00-era electronica of “Double Blind” — but in their reclamation, Sleep Maps execute with care and make a point about the malleability of style as much as about their own progression, though it seems to be the latter fueling them. Self-motivated, willful artistic progression is not often so starkly recognizable.
A reminder of the glories amid the horrors of our age: Dread Spire‘s Endless Empire — am I the only one who finds it a little awkward when band and release names rhyme? — probably wouldn’t exist without the democratization of recording processes that’s happened over the last 15-20 years. It’s a demo, essentially, from the bass/drum — that’s Richie Rehal and Erol Kavvas — Cali-set instrumentalist two-piece, and with about 13 minutes of sans BS riffing, they make a case via a linear procession of crunch riffing and uptempo, semi-metal precision. The narrative — blessings and peace upon it — holds that they got together during the pandemic, and the raw form and clearly-manifest catharsis in the material is all the backing they need. More barebones than complex, this first offering wants nothing for audio fidelity and gives Rehal and Kavvas a beginning from which to build in any and all directions they might choose. The joy of collaboration and the need to find an expressive outlet are the best motivations one could ask, and that’s very obviously what’s at work here.
A roiling post-metallic churn abides the slow tempos of “Torch Bearer” at the outset of Mairu‘s debut full-length, Sol Cultus, and it is but one ingredient of the Liverpool-based outfit’s atmospheric plunge. Across eight tracks and 49 minutes, the double-guitar four-piece of Alan Caulton and Ant Hurlock (both guitar/vocals), Dan Hunt (bass/vocals) and Ben Davis (drums/synth) — working apparently pretty closely over a period of apparently four years with Tom Dring, who produced, engineered, mixed, mastered and contributed saxophone, ebow, piano and additional synth — remind in their spaciousness of that time Red Sparowes taught the world, instrumentally, to sing. But with harsh and melodic vocals mixed, bouts of thrashier riffing dealt with prejudice, and the barely-there ambience of “Inter Alia” and “Per Alia” to persuade the listener toward headphones, the very-sludged finish of “Wild Darkened Eyes” and the 10-minute sprawl of “Rite of Embers” lumbering to its distorted gut-clench of a crescendo chug ahead of the album’s comedown finish, there’s depth and personality to the material even as Mairu look outside of verse/chorus confines to make their statement. Their second outing behind a 2019 EP, and again, apparently in the works on some level since then, it’s explorational, but less in the sense of the band figuring out who they want to be than as a stylistic tenet they’ve internalized as their own.
At first in “Hope Shines in the Autumn Light,” Brazilian instrumentalist heavy post-rockers Throe remind of nothing so much as the robots-with-feelings mechanized-but-resonant plod of Justin K. Broadrick‘s Jesu, but as the 14-minute leadoff from the apparently-mostly-solo-project’s three-song EP, O Enterro das Marés (one assumes the title is some derivation of being ‘buried at sea’), plays through, it shifts into a more massive galaxial nod and then shortly before the nine-minute mark to a stretch of hypnotic beat-less melody before resolving itself somewhere in the middle. This three-part structure gives over to the Godfleshier “Bleed Alike” (6:33), which nods accordingly until unveiling its caustic end about 30 seconds before the song is done, and “Renascente” (7:59), in which keys/synth and wistful guitar lead a single linear build together as the band gradually and with admirable patience move from their initial drone to the introduction of the ‘drums’ and through the layers of melody that emerge and are more the point of the thing itself than the actual swell of volume taking place at the same time. When it opens at about five minutes in, “Renascente” is legitimately beautiful, an echoing waterfall of tonality that seems to dance to the gravity pulling it down. The guitar is last to go, which tells you something about how the songs are written, but with three songs and three different intentions, Throe make a varied statement uniform most of all in how complete each piece of it feels.
Well guess what? They called the first track “Punkstarter,” and so it is. Starts off the album with a bit of punk. Blind River‘s third LP, Bones for the Skeleton Thief corrals 10 tracks from the UK traditionalist heavy rock outfit, who even on the likewise insistent “Primal Urges” maintain some sense of control. Vocalist Harry Armstrong (ex-Hangnail, now also bassist of Orange Goblin) belts out “Second Hand Soul” like he’s giving John Garcia a run for his pounds sterling, and is still able to rein it in enough to not seem out of place on the more subdued verses of “Skeleton Thief,” while the boogie of “Unwind” is its own party. Wherever they go, be it the barroom punkabilly of “Snake Oil” or the Southern-tinged twang of closer “Bad God,” the five-piece — Armstrong, guitarist Chris Charles and Dan Edwards, bassist William Hughes and drummer Mark Sharpless — hold to a central ethic of straight-ahead drive, and where clearly the intended message is that Blind River know what the fuck they’re doing and that if you end up at a show you might get your ass handed to you, turns out that’s exactly the message received. Showed up, kicked ass, done in under 40 minutes. If that’s not a high enough standard for you in a band recording live, that’s not Blind River‘s fault.
Rifftree of life. Rifftree‘s fuzz is so righteously dense, I want to get seeds from it — because let’s face it, riffs are deciduous and hibernate in winter — and plant a forest in my backyard. The band formed half a decade ago and Noise Worship is the bass-and-drums duo’s second EP, but whatever. In six songs and 26 minutes, they work hard on living up to the title they gave the release, and their schooling in the genre is obvious in Sleepery of “Amplifier Pyramid” or the low-rumbling sludge of “Brown Flower,” the subsequent “Farewell” growing like fungus out of its quieter start and “Brakeless” not needing them because it was slow enough anyhow. “Fuzzed” — another standard met — ups the pace and complements with spacey grunge mumbles and harshes out later, and that gives the three-minute titular closer “Noise Worship” all the lead-in it needs for its showcase of feedback and amplifier noise. Look. If you’re thinking it’s gonna be some stylistic revolution in the making, look at the friggin’ cover. Listen to the songs. This isn’t innovation, it’s celebration, and Rifftree‘s complete lack of pretense is what makes Noise Worship the utter fucking joy that it is. Stoner. Rock. Stick that in your microgenre rolodex.
