This is the first Orange Goblin date I’ve seen for 2025, and surely won’t be the last fest the UK troupe headline as they continue to support this year’s Science, Not Fiction (review here) in Europe and beyond. At Heavy Psych Sounds Fest in Athens — the first time Italy’s Heavy Psych Sounds has put on one of its branded festivals in Greece — Tuber, Belzebong, Black Rainbows and Acid Mammoth will join in the fray of the two-nights/two-clubs event set for March 7 and 8, plus more names still to be unveiled. Of those, Tuber and Acid Mammoth represent the fertile native Greek underground, and it’s unlikely they’ll be the only ones to do so by the time the lineup is done. There’s no lack of bands to choose from between now and the end of winter.

The announcement came through today with what’s probably ultimately about half the bill — unless they’re really packing them in, which is always possible; I don’t know if Arch Club or Universe have more than one stage — but it’s a strong start either way and a way to let the heavy heads of Athens know that a thing is happening as tickets go on presale. This may be the first time in Athens, but it’s not at all Heavy Psych Sounds‘ first time branching into new territory, and you’ll note the partnership here with local producer TMR Entertainment Group, which continues a thread of aligning with regional promoters to ensure things go off with no more hitches than one might generally encounter in stoner-anything.

Another killer two-dayer, and that this sentence started with “another” should be taken as a sign of how utterly spoiled the world is for heavy festivals. Think about where you were and weren’t four years ago.

From the PR wire:

HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS FEST ATHENS 2025

– FOR THE FIRST TIME IN ATHENS – 7th and 8th MARCH 2025 –

FIRST BANDS ANNOUNCED TODAY

THE HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS FEST is landing in Athens for the first time on March 7 & 8, 2025, bringing with it an unstoppable rock earthquake! For two electrifying nights, ARCH Club and Universe will transform into hotspots for the stoner, doom, and psych rock scene, hosting some of the genre’s most legendary names.

Today Heavy Psych Sounds Records in cooperation with TMR Entertainment Group is announcing the FIRST CONFIRMED BANDS !!

– HPS FEST ATHENS 2025 –
7th and 8th March
@ Arch Club
@ Universe

FIRST CONFIRMED BANDS

ORANGE GOBLIN
TUBER
BELZEBONG
BLACK RAINBOWS
ACID MAMMOTH
+ more TBA

WEEKEND TICKETS PRESALE:
https://www.more.com/music/heavy-psych-sounds-fest-athens-2025/

heavypsychsoundsrecords.bandcamp.com
www.heavypsychsounds.com
https://www.facebook.com/HEAVYPSYCHSOUNDS/
https://www.instagram.com/heavypsychsounds_records/

Orange Goblin, Science, Not Fiction (2024)

Oh, you know, no big deal. It’s just Desertscene (the folks behind Desertfest London) and Heavy Psych Sounds (the foremost European heavy imprint and booking concern) pairing up for a London-based Heavy Psych Sounds Fest this November with Dozer, Black Rainbows, Lord Dying, Black Tusk, Alunah, The Cosmic Dead, Margarita Witch Cult, Child, Josiah, MR.BISON and The Clamps at The Underworld and The Black Heart. Oh wait, that is a big deal, and awesome besides. Like a mini-Desertfest, tucked right in there after the end of the always-busy Eurofestival October. Killer bill, killer clubs. Dozer and Josiah in the same lineup alone. Total no-brainer. If you can go, just go. Trust me, the rest of us will wish we could too.

From the PR wire:

*** HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS FEST LONDON 2024 ***

– LINEUP + TICKETS PRESALE ANNOUNCED –

HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS FEST returns to London after four years this fall to make Camden Town rumble and crumble under the mighty fuzz assault of some of the most revered bands in the stoner, doom, psych and heavy rock scene!

The festival will proudly welcome Swedish stoner rock royalty Dozer, Portland genre-bending heavy metallers Lord Dying, and Savannah swamp sludge specialists Black Tusk for the first time. Fuzz and buzz will be supplied by some of the finest live acts from the HPS roster with stoner rock icons Black Rainbows, Scottish space rock explorers The Cosmic Dead, Birmingham’s soulful proto-rock merchants Alunah and occult doom revelers Margarita Witch Cult, Italian heavy psych goldsmiths Mr.Bison and speed stoner’n’roll unit The Clamps, as well as UK heavy psych veterans Josiah. Fans of the finest psychedelic blues be delighted by an exclusive UK appearance of Australia’s own Child.

Curated by two major players of the European & UK heavy rock scene with London’s fuzz-worshipping Desertscene and leading independent heavy rock label Heavy Psych Sounds, this decibel-charged weekender promises to be one for the books, so don’t wait to book your ticket!

HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS FEST
LONDON 2024
@ The Underworld // 2nd November 2024
@ The Black Heart // 3rd November 2024

– LINEUP –
DOZER
BLACK RAINBOWS
LORD DYING
BLACK TUSK
THE COSMIC DEAD
ALUNAH
MARGARITA WITCH CULT
CHILD
JOSIAH
MR.BISON
THE CLAMPS

TICKETS PRESALE: https://link.dice.fm/ic5b2e485533

heavypsychsoundsrecords.bandcamp.com
www.heavypsychsounds.com
https://www.facebook.com/HEAVYPSYCHSOUNDS/
https://www.instagram.com/heavypsychsounds_records/

Alunah, “Trickster of Time”

Okeydokey, what do we learn here? Bongzilla will be in Europe this Spring, and Mondo Generator will be out to follow up on Nick Oliveri‘s winter solo tour, and Kadabra will go supporting their most excellent 2023 outing, Umbra (review here), though that was already apparent from the first Desertfest London announce. Along with MR.BISON, the esteemed Ufomammut — who’ll have a new LP out sometime in 2024, allegedly — Greek mainstays Nightstalker and upstarts 1782, speedrockers Tankzilla and punkers The Clamps, that’s the bill as it stands that will swap acts back and forth across two nights in Bologna and Trieste next May for Heavy Psych Sounds Fest Italy 2024.

This is not the end of the announcements, of course, but it’s a rousing start as the Italian label and booking agency continues to branch out to new places. You’ll note Trieste is home for Rocket Panda Management, who are involved here and also behind the StonerKras Fest that’s taken place the last couple of years later in the summer. I assume that’s still happening too, and will do so until I hear or see otherwise.

I don’t have numbers on the site’s readership in Bologna or Trieste, but I think these things are relevant anyway exactly because of the above: they show you who’s going to be where when. And it gives me an excuse to post the Kadabra record again. Double-win.

From the PR wire:

Heavy Psych Sounds to announce HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS FEST ITALY 2024 Bologna & Trieste – TICKETS PRESALE + FIRST BANDS !!!

Heavy Psych Sounds Records & Booking will smash Bologna and for the first time Trieste with their highly acclaimed mini festival-series, the HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS FEST!

In cooperation with Freakout Club and Rocket Panda Management, today Heavy Psych Sounds has announced the first confirmed bands + TICKETS PRESALE for the upcoming HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS FEST ITALY 2024 !!!

The HPS Fest Italy will be taking place 3rd and 4th of May at the Teatro Miela in Trieste and 4th and 5th of May at the TPO Club in Bologna !!!

HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS FEST ITALY 2024 – BOLOGNA & TRIESTE

@ TPO, Bologna // 4th and 5th May 2024

@ Teatro Miela, Trieste // 3rd and 4th May 2024

feat.
BONGZILLA
MONDO GENERATOR
UFOMAMMUT
NIGHTSTALKER
1782
KADABRA
MR. BISON
TANKZILLA
THE CLAMPS
+ more TBA

BOLOGNA WEEKEND TICKETS:
https://www.freakoutbologna.com/hps

TRIESTE WEEKEND TICKETS:
https://www.miela.it/spettacoli/heavy-psych-sounds-fest-italy-2024/

heavypsychsoundsrecords.bandcamp.com
www.heavypsychsounds.com
https://www.facebook.com/HEAVYPSYCHSOUNDS/
https://www.instagram.com/heavypsychsounds_records/

Mondo Generator, We Stand Against You (2023)

Kadabra, Umbra (2023)

The set-up-in-two-cities-and-trade-lineups formula employed by Heavy Psych Sounds across two-dayer fests in San Francisco and Joshua Tree, in Berlin and Dresden, coming soon to New York and Baltimore, works. Granted, that any single night among the four bills is righteous on its own might have something to do with it, but that’s obviously not a detriment. Dresden gets Greenleaf, both cities get Iron Jinn as of this update. It’s not the hugest fest add post ever, but I’ve been looking for an excuse to post again about how great Greenleaf were at SonicBlast (review here), and to post the ‘2 Meter Session’ for which Iron Jinn recently collaborated with Alain Johannes, with whom they also did shows this past weekend in the Netherlands.

So yeah, it’s just two acts, but it’s two good ‘uns. Lineups and links follow as per the PR wire:

HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS FEST Berlin & Dresden confirm Greenleaf and Iron Jinn for upcoming fall edition; tickets available now!

Heavy Psych Sounds Records announce two more bands to play HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS FEST Berlin & Dresden this October 27-28th, with Greenleaf co-headlining the Dresden edition and Iron Jinn joining both lineups.

Europe’s cornerstone stoner, doom and psych rock label Heavy Psych Sounds is happy to celebrate the third edition of Heavy Psych Sounds Fest Berlin & Dresden this fall! Taking place simultaneously in both cities over the October 27-28th weekend, the festival will host some of the label’s flagship acts such as Nebula, Duel or Acid Mammoth, alongside pillar bands of the international heavy scene such as Greenleaf, Dopelord or Danava. A celebration of all things fuzz and groovy with thirteen bands across three venues and many goodies to enjoy!

HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS FEST BERLIN 2023

Buy tickets: https://www.greyzone-tickets.de/produkte/732
Official event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1043005749901596

Friday 27 October @ LIDO:
Unida / Nebula / Dopelord / Giöbia / Hippie Death Cult / Margarita Witch Cult

Saturday 28 October @ URBAN SPREE:
Duel / Acid Mammoth / The Lords of Altamont / Danava / Blackwater Holylight / Iron Jinn

HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS FEST DRESDEN 2023

Buy tickets: https://www.tixforgigs.com/Event/48827
Official event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1287989048480027/

Friday 27 October @ Chemiefabrik:
Greenleaf / Duel / Acid Mammoth / Danava / Blackwater Holylight / The Lords of Altamont / Iron Jinn

Saturday 28 October @ Chemiefabrik:
Unida / Nebula / Dopelord / Margarita Witch Cult / Giöbia / Hippie Death Cult

Founded and curated by European music label Heavy Psych Sounds Records, HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS FEST has become a trademark event among heavy and fuzz rock lovers by taking over major European cities from London to Rome, Bruxelles and Paris since its inception in 2015.

heavypsychsoundsrecords.bandcamp.com
www.heavypsychsounds.com
https://www.facebook.com/HEAVYPSYCHSOUNDS/
https://www.instagram.com/heavypsychsounds_records/

Greenleaf, Live at Desertfest Berlin 2023

Alain Johannes & Iron Jinn, ‘2 Meter Sessions’ 2023

Two bands left to announce, huh? Well, having been in Baltimore earlier this month to see them, Holy Fingers would sure as shit be a welcome addition to this bill, and if Heavy Temple are back from Europe by then (and I’m not sure they will be), they’d be my other pick, though certainly Heavy Psych Sounds wouldn’t be out of line to tap either Ecstatic Vision or Ruby the Hatchet for those spots, again pending their availability.

Whoever remains to be added, it’s already a pretty sick bill for Heavy Psych Sounds Fest 2023 in New York and Baltimore. Bongzilla‘s new record will be out by then, The Golden Grass put out a banger this year, that Gozu album is a beast, so yeah, toss in Lüger from Montreal and The Atomic Bitchwax who are always welcome, add even more cool bands, and it’s a Heavy Psych Sounds Fest. At the Saint Vitus Bar. I remember a time when nobody went to heavy rock shows in New York. Not a label from Italy is hosting a festival in Brooklyn. Time is very, very weird.

I’m gonna say that’s enough since you probably stopped reading anyhow, skimmed the lineup and clicked off, either to buy tickets or elsewhere. Safe travels, either way.

From the PR wire:

Heavy Psych Sounds Fest New York & Baltimore to take place on November 10-11th with Bongzilla, The Atomic Bitchwax and more; tickets on sale

In cooperation with Saint Vitus Bar and Savage Party, Heavy Psych Sounds Records take over the East Coast with the first edition of Heavy Psych Sounds Fest New York & Baltimore, to take place respectively at Saint Vitus Bar and Metro Gallery on November 10-11th, 2023. Ten bands are already confirmed, don’t wait to get your tickets!

“We are stoked to organize one of our HPS Fests on the US East Coast for the very first time! After conquering the West Coast in March, we are ready to rock the East Coast too!” says Rajko Dolhar from Heavy Psych Sounds.

Heavy Psych Sounds Fest New York 2023
Saint Vitus Bar – 1120 Manhattan Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11222
BUY TICKETS

Heavy Psych Sounds Fest Baltimore 2023
Metro Gallery – 1700 N Charles St, Baltimore, MD 21201
BUY TICKETS

With BONGZILLA
THE ATOMIC BITCHWAX
HIGH REEPER
THE GOLDEN GRASS
GEEZER
BLACK LUNG
WITCHPIT
COSMIC REAPER
GOZU
LÜGER
+ two more bands TBA

https://www.facebook.com/HEAVYPSYCHSOUNDS
http://www.heavypsychsounds.com
https://heavypsychsoundsrecords.bandcamp.com

The Atomic Bitchwax, Live at Freak Valley 2022

This will be Heavy Psych Sounds‘ first foray into the East Coast, and more specifically in the Northeast, which is fair enough. They’ve done Joshua Tree and San Francisco, so I guess if you’re ever going to bring that to the other side of the US, Saint Vitus in Brooklyn and Metro Gallery in Baltimore are the right spots. I might like to see them do a fest in Woodstock or some such, maybe something out in the woods, but won’t at all complain about a two-dayer this November that’s certain to feature killer acts based on the banner it’s flying alone.

To wit, The Golden Grass are right there and have a new record, Geezer are from Kingston, Ecstatic Vision from Philly, and while you’re there, Ruby the Hatchet only make any show they play better. Add Sun Voyager to make it a party, bring in someone from the West Coast, someone from Europe, snag Gozu from Boston and maybe even that Alabama Thunderpussy reunion up from Virginia if they’re available, and of course I’ll add Caustic Casanova here because they should be playing everything and are from D.C., maybe Cosmic Reaper, and you’re on your way. Or I’m on mine, I guess. To Brooklyn.

Of course that’s all speculation, and I’m sure more than a little wrong. The fest will be held Nov. 10-11, and as with the others in California, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, etc., the lineups will mostly swap per night — bands play New York or Baltimore first, then switch — and they’ll start doing lineup reveals in three weeks. So let’s see — three weeks from today is May 16. Calendar is marked for it.

Until then, then. The PR wire brought word:

Heavy Psych Sounds Records & Booking is coming for the first time to New York and Baltimore with their highly acclaimed mini festival-series, the HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS FEST!

In cooperation with Saint Vitus and Savage Party, today Heavy Psych Sounds has announced the dates of the first HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS FEST – NEW YORK & BALTIMORE.

The HPS Fest will be taking place 10th and 11th of November at the St. Vitus in New York and same days at Metro Gallery in Baltimore.

“We are super stoked to organize one of our HPS FESTs on the US East Coast for the very first time!!” Says Rajko Dolhar from Heavy Psych Sounds. “After conquering the West Coast in March we are ready to rock the East Coast too. First bands + tickets presale will be announced in three weeks.”

HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS FEST

NEW YORK & BALTIMORE

@ St. Vitus, New York

and

@ Metro Gallery, Baltimore

November 10th and 11th 2023

!!! FIRST ANNOUNCED BANDS + TICKETS PRESALE IN 3 WEEKS !!!

https://www.facebook.com/HEAVYPSYCHSOUNDS
http://www.heavypsychsounds.com
https://heavypsychsoundsrecords.bandcamp.com

This is gonna sound like I’m kissing ass, but Heavy Psych Sounds is real-deal upping its festival game this year. From the stellar California lineup to Italy to this, it’s been fun to watch as the shows get bigger and more plentiful. El Perro and maybe Acid Mammoth/1782 (?) had this fest in their latest tour dates, so the existence of Heavy Psych Sounds Fest Switzerland isn’t exactly news — and they’re both booked by HPS, so if it was a leak, it wasn’t done without the label knowing it since the bookers and the label are the same people — but the lineup is right on with Truckfighters in the headline slot, the aforementioned El Perro, Acid Mammoth and 1782, Giöbia and Oreyeon ticking any boxes you have for weird, and Deadsmoke for a bit of something nastier. I’ll be interested to see who else gets added — certainly there are plenty of acts on tour in May and with so many festivals happening around then — but if this was it I’d still say it’s a good one. And the poster alone is giving the lineup alone a run for its money.

Shows are in Martigny and Winterthur, and if you need me to say any more about Heavy Psych Sounds, I’m done here, but I’m pretty sure there will be more news from them in about five minutes, so just sit tight.

From the PR wire:

First names and tickets for HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS FEST SWITZERLAND available; May 26-27th on Winterthur and Martigny!

Today, Heavy Psych Sounds Records unveil the first names for the 2023 edition of HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS FEST SWITZERLAND, the stoner, doom and psych rock mini-festival taking place simultaneously on May 26-27th in Winterthur and Martigny. Two days, two cities, same lineup: all the fuzz!

Following on from the recent HPS Fest Italy and HPS Fest California announcements, it’s now time to get ready for the summer season with the yearly Swiss gathering of all things heavy and fuzzy-sounding! As always with Heavy Psych Sounds, some of the finest bands of their label roster will hit the festival’s stage, joined by one or two cornerstone acts of the international heavy rock scene: on this special occasion, Swedish stoner rock icons Truckfighters are confirmed as headliners for this 2023 edition!

All bands announced are set to play both in Winterthur and Martigny across the weekend of April 26-27h of April. Day splits and timetables to be unveiled soon!

Heavy Psych Sounds Fest Switzerland 2023
May 26-27th at Gaswerk (Winterthur) and Les Caves du Manoir (Martigny)
(#127903#) Winterthur tickets: https://www.petzi.ch/de/events/51711-gaswerk-heavy-psych-sounds-fest/tickets/
(#127903#) Martigny tickets: https://www.petzi.ch/fr/events/51669-caves-du-manoir-heavy-psych-sounds-fest-switzerland/

All bands play both cities!
Truckfighters
Acid Mammoth
El Perro
1782
Giöbia
Deadsmoke
Oreyeon
+ more bands TBA

heavypsychsoundsrecords.bandcamp.com
www.heavypsychsounds.com
https://www.facebook.com/HEAVYPSYCHSOUNDS/

Truckfighters, Live at Fuzz Festival #3, Stockholm, Sweden

Park myself in Joshua Tree for a weekend just as the winter is turning to spring, catch a ton of awesome bands from and beyond the desert? Yeah, that sounds pretty magical, to be honest. Nothing against San Francisco. I’ve seen videos from outside at Thee Parkside and it looks like an incredible place to see a gig, but if I’m making the trip from the other side of the country — and unless there’s a sudden fiscal windfall in my favor, I’m not, sadly — it’s the desert calling, all the more with All Souls and BigPig and Third Ear Experience on that bill. That’s a memorable weekend in the making.

The 2023 lineups for Heavy Psych Sounds Fest in California are finished, and with the two posters next to each other you can see some of the differences from one to the other, but they’re mostly the same as artists will play in one city one night, the other the other, and as someone who remembers seeing Yawning Man and Fatso Jetson together a decade ago at Desertfest London 2013 (review here), I’d offer up a kidney to do so again if I thought I could be healed in time to actually enjoy the show in March.

Anybody want to buy some… shit I have nothing of value. Alright then.

Here’s the bill:

Heavy Psych Sounds Records & Booking is proud to announce *** HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS FEST CALIFORNIA 2023 JOSHUA TREE & SAN FRANCISCO ***

full lineup announcement

Heavy Psych Sounds together with Plastic Cactus Productions and Subliminal SF presents the full lineup of the Heavy Psych Sounds Fest California 2023 !!!

HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS FEST ***CALIFORNIA 2023***
MARCH 25 & 26

SAN FRANCISCO @ OPEN AIR AT THEE PARKSIDE

JOSHUA TREE @ HI DESERT CULTURAL CENTER

JOSHUA TREE
HI DESERT CULTURAL CENTER
MARCH 25th and 26th

WINDHAND
WEEDEATER
BRANT BJORK
NEBULA
THE ATOMIC BITCHWAX
YAWNING MAN
FATSO JETSON
DUEL
HIPPIE DEATH CULT
GEEZER
KADABRA
WARLUNG
LOVE GANG
WITCHPIT
COSMIC REAPER
ALL SOULS
BIG PIG
THIRD EAR EXPERIENCE
DEATHCHANT
WHISKEY AND KNIVES
HIGH TONE SON OF A BITCH

SAN FRANCISCO
OPEN AIR AT THEE PARKSIDE
MARCH 25th and 26th

WINDHAND
WEEDEATER
MONDO GENERATOR
NEBULA
THE ATOMIC BITCHWAX
DUEL
HIPPIE DEATH CULT
GEEZER
KADABRA
WARLUNG
LOVE GANG
COSMIC REAPER
WITCHPIT
DEATHCHANT
HIGH TONE SON OF A BITCH
DISASTROID

TICKETS PRESALE SAN FRANCISCO:
https://www.venuepilot.co/events/65782/orders/new

TICKETS PRESALE JOSHUA TREE:
https://heavypsychsounds.ticketleap.com/heavy-psych-sounds-fest-joshua-tree-2023/

heavypsychsoundsrecords.bandcamp.com
www.heavypsychsounds.com
https://www.facebook.com/HEAVYPSYCHSOUNDS/

Windhand, Live in Hollywood, CA, June 26, 2022