Multi-level intrigue from Austin’s Destroyer of Light, who were also recently confirmed for the Shadow Woods Metal Fest in September (info here). The band will tour as a trio for the first time in June/July, still supporting last year’s Endsville (video premiere here) split with Godhunter — with whom they also toured in 2015 — and have a new album in the works, to be released early next year through a TBA label. Could be their Heavy Friends imprint will link up with Battleground again, as happened with the split, or could be they’ve been picked up by someone else. Also curious to see what happens with their lineup, since the PR wire hints at future announcements in that regard as well.

These dates were announced a bit ago at this point, but curiosity reigns:

DESTROYER OF LIGHT: Texas Outfit Confirms Western US June/July Tour; New Album In The Works

Austin, Texas-based psychedelic doom metal outfit, DESTROYER OF LIGHT, has confirmed a string of tour dates spanning the Western US in late June into mid-July.

The upcoming trek is the first extensive tour from the outfit since their massive run through the US in the Summer of 2015 with cohorts and labelmates, Godhunter, which was booked in support of their Endsville split 2xLP. This new trek sees DESTROYER OF LIGHT taking their Endsville anthems back out to the masses, beginning in Fort Worth on June 16th, then running up through the Central and Midwestern states to the Pacific Northwest, before running down the West Coast on their way back to Texas, the final show going down in the band’s hometown on July 11th.

Following the recent departure of their brother Keegan Kjeldsen, this tour will see DESTROYER OF LIGHT taking to the streets as a three-piece for the first time, with Jeff Klein handling lead guitars, Steve Colca on guitars and vocals, and Penny turner on drums, the trio strategically bulking up on extra amplification for the journey. The band is working on their new album, which will see release in early 2017 on a label to be announced at a later date along with more info on the permanent lineup.

Endsville is available through a joint release with Godhunter co-owned Battleground Records and DESTROYER OF LIGHT’s Heavy Friends Records, the 2xLP bearing two slabs of 180-gram vinyl on two colors packed in a gatefold sleeve. Order the digital and vinyl HERE.

DESTROYER OF LIGHT West Coast Tour 2016:
6/16/2016 The Grotto – Fort Worth, TX
6/17/2016 Road Map – Texarkana, AR
6/18/2016 Soundpony – Tulsa, OK
6/19/2016 The Elbow Room – Wichita, KS
6/20/2016 Bourbon Theatre – Lincoln, NB
6/21/2016 Three Kings Tavern – Denver, CO
6/22/2016 Flux Capicitor – Colorado Springs, CO
6/24/2016 Wastelander Studio – Boise, ID
6/25/2016 VFW – Missoula, MT
6/26/2016 Emerald of Slam – Richland, WA
6/27/2016 Victory Lounge – Seattle, WA
6/28/2016 The Panic Room – Portland, OR
6/29/2016 The Wandering Goat – Eugene, OR
6/30/2016 Club 66 – Ashland, OR
7/01/2016 Starlite – Sacramento, CA
7/02/2016 Hemlock Tavern – San Francisco, CA
7/03/2016 Sweet Water Saloon – Los Osos, CA
7/04/2016 Lexington – Los Angeles, CA
7/05/2016 Soda Bar – San Diego, CA
7/06/2016 The Womb Room – Las Vegas, NV
7/07/2016 Yucca Tap Room -Tempe, AZ
7/08/2016 Gary’s Place – Tucson, AZ
7/09/2016 The Sandbox – El Paso, TX
7/10/2016 The District O’Bar – Lubbock, TX
7/11/2016 The Grand – Austin, TX

http://www.destroyeroflight.bandcamp.com
http://www.facebook.com/destroyeroflight
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Heavy-Friends-Records/1396186950655438

Godhunter vs. Destroyer of Light, Endsville (2015)

Tapping into grandiose classic doom and wah-drenched psychedelic heavy rock, Austin, Texas, four-piece Destroyer of Light are gearing up to release a new split 2LP with Godhunter that, as of today, is available to preorder through Battleground Records. Titled Endsville and limited to 300 copies available via Battleground and Destroyer of Light‘s Heavy Friends Records imprint, Endsville comprises four sides, two for one band, two for the other, each with original material and one cover track between them. No strangers to the road after having gone coast-to-coast last fall supporting their Bizarre Tales Vol. 2 EP, which was the follow-up to their 2012 self-titled debut (review here), Destroyer of Light will team up with Godhunter for a lengthy run of the East Coast this July/Aug. that includes a stop at the Death to False Metal festival in Connecticut on Aug. 15.

A lot of information in that paragraph, so I’ll sum up — two good bands paired up for a split, preorders now, tour next month. Hopefully that sorts out the basics, which, if you’re going by “Electric Shadows,” which leads off their two-song side C of the Endsville vinyl, obviously aren’t a problem for Destroyer of Light. Guitarist/vocalist Steve Colca, guitarist Keegan Kjeldsen, bassist Jeff Klein and drummer Kelly Turner have their Sabbath worship down pat, but there’s more to the track for those who’d dig in, and over the course of its six minutes, they’re able to smoothly shift between wrenching doom and ’70s-style shuffle, a catchy boogie of a guitar lead taking hold in the second half to steer toward a surprisingly upbeat, if somewhat sudden, finish. The band prove just as ready to jam as doom out, and though they’re playing one side against the other, in the middle third of the track, they seem to find a riffy middle-ground that eases the transition, subtle effects swirls behind plodding riffs before Klein‘s bass announces the arrival at the next stage.

Endsville is out July 28, but “Electric Shadows” is available for those who’d check it out to hear in a new lyric video put together by Erik Bredthauer that I’m happy to be able to premiere today. You’ll find it on the player below, followed by the tracklisting for the split, the tour dates Destroyer of Light will undertake with Godhunter starting on July 29, and much more info, culled from the PR wire.

Hope you enjoy:

Destroyer of Light, “Electric Shadows” lyric video

GODHUNTER vs. DESTROYER OF LIGHT: Endsville Split Double-LP to see release in a gatefold setup on two different colors of vinyl through Battleground Records and Heavy Friends Records on July 28th, 2015.

Double album featuring brand new music from Godhunter and Destroyer of Light, plus a cover song from each band.

Godhunter (Sides A/B) pressed on 180 gram translucent green vinyl, Destroyer of Light (Sides C/D) pressed on 180 gram translucent red vinyl. Both records are housed together in a two pocket, deluxe gatefold package featuring art combining sculpture work by Bestia Dentro and photography by Andrew Weiss. Includes a digital download card for the album. Limited to 300 copies pressed worldwide.

Godhunter
Side A
1. End Time Blues
2. Divided States
3. Dull Knives, Weak Handshakes
Side B
4. Cassandra Complex
5. Anthropophobia
6. The Emptiness That Is Left

Destroyer of Light
Side C
1. Electric Shadows
2. Coffin Hunter
Side D
3. Forever My Queen
4. Valley Of The Dead

GODHUNTER vs. DESTROYER OF LIGHT: Endsville bears twenty minutes of new material and a cover track from each band. Tucson/Vancouver-situated sludge faction, GODHUNTER, captured the tunes for their platter at WaveLab Studios in Tucson by Dana Fehr (North, Juarez), the newest in a steady line of titles since their 2014-released debut LP, City Of Dust, including their GH/OST:S split LP with Secrets Of The Sky and The Outer Dark collaborative 7” with Amigo The Devil. The adjoining slab by Austin-based psychedelic doom outfit, DESTROYER OF LIGHT, follows the band’s 2012-released self-titled debut album and 2014’s Bizarre Tales Vol. II EP, recorded at Orb Recording Studios in Austin, engineered and mixed by Matt Meli. The entire album was then mastered by James Plotkin. The two 12” EPs will be united in a gatefold setup on two different colors of vinyl, in addition to a digital release, the cover artwork to feature custom sculpture art by Bestia Dentro and photography by Andrew Weiss.

Directly in conjunction with the release of Endsville, GODHUNTER and DESTROYER OF LIGHT will collaborate on a major widespread tour together, which will see them both raiding the East Coast US for the first time. While previously only the rough skeletal city itinerary of the trek has been announced, this week nearly every one of the twenty-five venues on the tour has been declared. The tour includes both bands’ participation in the first Death To False Metal Festival in Hamden, Connecticut on August 14th and 15th with Whiplash, Krieg, Secrets Of The Sky, Valkyrie, Imperial Triumphant, Nightbitch, Immortal Bird, Secret Cutter and more.

Godhunter and Destroyer of Light on tour:
7/29: Tucson, AZ – Club Congress
7/30: Tempe, AZ – Yucca Tap Room
7/31: El Paso, TX – The Sandbox
8/1: Albuquerque, NM – The Launchpad
8/2: Denver, CO – Seventh Circle
8/3: Omaha, NB – TBA
8/4: Minneapolis, MN – Triple Rock
8/5: Chicago, IL – Livewire
8/6: Kalamazoo, MI – Fat Guy Fest
8/7: Indianapolis, IN – Fifth Quarter
8/8: Louisville, KY – Magnolia Bar
8/9: Raleigh, NC – Pour House
8/10: Charleston, WV – The Empty Glass
8/11: Pittsburgh, PA – Gooski’s
8/12: Buffalo, NY – Mohawk Place
8/13: New York, NY – Saint Vitus
8/14: Salem, MA – KoTo
8/15: New Haven, CT – Death To False Metal Festival
8/16: Philadelphia, PA – Kung Fu Necktie
8/17: Baltimore, MD – The Depot
8/18: Greenville, SC – Thomas Creek Brewery
8/19: Atlanta, GA – The Basement
8/20: Little Rock, AR – Vino’s
8/21: New Orleans, LA – Saturn Bar
8/22: Austin, TX – Holy Mountain

Destroyer of Light on Thee Facebooks

Destroyer of Light on Bandcamp

Battleground Records preorder

Heavy Friends Records on Thee Facebooks

Austin horror rockers Destroyer of Light have no shortage of work ahead of them in slogging their way coast to coast on what they’ve dubbed the “Howlin’ Across America” tour. The ghoulish death-sludge purveyors hit the West Coast over the summer, but that couldn’t really compare to the month they’ll spend on the road starting Oct. 13 in support of their second record, Bizarre Tales Vol. 2, which came out earlier in the year on Heavy Friends Records.

They’ll make a stop at the Southwest Terror Fest on Oct. 17, and short of Boston and a few cities in the northern part of the Midwest, hits just about everywhere else, so if they’re hitting your town it might be worth showing up and buying some merch, to keep ’em flying, as the WWII posters used to say.

Info culled from the PR wire:

Destroyer of Light Announces Howlin’ Across America Tour ’14

Austin Doom Band To Spend A Month On The Road

Following a successful summer run on the West Coast, doom metal alchemists Destroyer of Light are set to undertake another tour in support of its Bizarre Tales Vol. 2 EP. Dubbed the Howlin’ Across America Tour ’14, the band will spend a month on the road and visit 32 cities. The Heavy Friends Records-sponsored tour starts in their home town Austin, Texas and reaches out to nearly every region in the United States.

On October 17, Destroyer of Light travels to The District Tavern in Tucson, Arizona where they will play Southwest Terror Fest. Goatsnake, Sunn 0))), Neurosis, Pelican and Author & Punisher are a few of the bands billed to play the four-day festival.

The band comments: “We are super excited about this tour and hitting some new cities that we haven’t played before. Also, this is the biggest tour that we have done; so, it is a very exciting feeling to go out and accomplish this.”

Howlin Across America Tour ’14
10/13-Austin, TX @ The Grand
10/14-Midland, TX @ Blue Max
10/15-El Paso, TX @Grynde Bar
10/17-Tucson, AZ @ The District Tavern Southwest Terror Fest
10/20-Alburquerque, NM @ The Launchpad
10/21-OKC/Tulsa, OK @TBA
10/22-Bryant, AR @ M.F. Metal
10/23-St. Louis, MO @ FOAM Coffe & Bar
10/24-Chicago, IL @ Cobra Lounge
10/25-Kalamazo, MI @ Satellite Records
10/26-Columbus, OH @ Carabar
10/27-Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Roboto Project
10/28-Buffalo, NY @ The Lair
10/29-Brooklyn, NY @ The Grand Victory
10/30-Philadelphia, PA @ Kung Fu Necktie
10/31-Shepardtown, WV @ Stonewall’s Pub
11/01-Richmond, VA @ 25Watt
11/02- Chapel Hill, NC @ The Cave Tavern
11/03-Johnston City, TN @ The Hideaway
11/04-Nashville, TN @TBA
11/05-Columbia, SC @ Foxfield Bar & Grill
11-06/Jacksonville, FL @ The Burro Bar
11/07-Longwood, FL @Hoodies Saloon
11/08-Pensacola, FL @ The Handlebar
11-09-Atlanta/Savannah/Athens @ TBA
11/10-Birmingham, AL @ The Nick
11/11-Jackson, MS @ OI Tavern/George St.
11.12-New Orleans, LA @ The Beatnik
11/13-Texarkana, AR @ The Silver Dollar
11/14-Fort Worth, TX @ The Grotto
11/15-Houston, TX @ Rudyards
11/16-Austin ,TX @ The Lost Well

Erik Bredthauer created a Tales From the Crypt style animated video for the single “Forbidden Zombi Ritual” taken from Destroyer of Light’s Bizarre Tales Vol. 2 EP. Go HERE to watch the video.

http://destroyeroflight.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/destroyeroflight
https://twitter.com/DoLAustinDoom
http://www.reverbnation.com/destroyeroflight

Destroyer of Light, “Forbidden Zombi Ritual” official video

Austin sludge rockers Destroyer of Light are heading west beginning June 13. The riff-crunching Texan four-piece released their sophomore outing, Bizarre Tales Vol. 2, earlier this year on vinyl through Heavy Friends Records, and previously toured in the Southeast this past April in support of the album. Neither that tour nor this one heads very far north, so I wouldn’t be surprised if the second half of 2014 held more to come from the band, who skillfully blend elements of doom, sludge, thrash and stoner shuffle into a dark-sounding brew of semi-psychedelic potency.

Dates and info come courtesy of the PR wire:

DESTROYER OF LIGHT announce summer U.S. tour

Austin-based doom band DESTROYER OF LIGHT has announced a U.S. tour spanning from Texas to the West Coast in June.

Destroyer of Light formed in Austin, Texas the beginning of 2012. Each member coming from different bands wanted create slow, heavy, riff-induced music and wield it toward the masses. Gathering influences from a variety of different styles, each member brings their flavor to the table, and the music speaks for itself. Destroyer of Light is a 4-piece band consisting of Steve Colca on guitars/vocals, Keegan Kjeldsen on lead guitar, Jeff Klein on bass, and Kelly “Penny” Turner on drums. As of now, their second EP, Bizarre Tales Vol. 2 has been released both digitally and on vinyl through Heavy Friends Records. May the power of the riff compel you!

Dates are as follows (TBA dates to be updated next week):

June 13th – Austin, Tx @ Holy Mountain
June 14th – Midland, TX @ VFW Hall
June 15th – Las Cruces, NM @ The Trainyard
June 16th – Albuquerque, NM @ TBA
June 17th – Tuscon, AZ @ The Rock
June 18th – Tempe, AZ @ Yucca Tap Room
June 19th – Spring Valley, CA @ The Bancroft
June 20th – LA @ TBA
June 21st – San Bernadino, CA – Black Flame Collective
June 22nd – San Francisco, CA @ Hemlock Tavern
June 23rd – Oakland, CA @ Eli’s Mile High Club
June 24th – Fresno, CA @ TBA
June 25th – Las Vegas, NV @ Cheyanne Saloon
June 26th – SLC @ The Shred Shed
June 27th – Colorado Springs, CO @ TBA
June 28th – Denver, CO @ Hi-Dive
June 29th – Haysville, KS @ KC’s Too
June 30th – Texarkana, TX @ Silver Dollar
July 1st – Dallas, TX/Fort Worth, TX @ TBA

facebook.com/destroyeroflight
destroyeroflight.bandcamp.com
heavyfriendsrecords.com
facebook.com/pages/Heavy-Friends-Records/1396186950655438

Destroyer of Light, Bizarre Tales Vol. 2 (2014)