Posted in Whathaveyou on February 22nd, 2019 by JJ Koczan
Oh yes. Most certainly yes. Just a week after announcing Papir for its lineup this October, Oslo-based festival Høstsabbat 2019 taps into a different flavor of the progressive with Sweden’s Skraeckoedlan. The Swedish four-piece also recently announced the arrival of a new bassist and a tour with Vokonis (info here), and their third and latest LP, Eorþe (review here), is out now in Fuzzorama and an early-year highlight in tone and execution alike. These guys continue to be underappreciated in my book, and I look forward to seeing them in Oslo for the first time after having been a fan going back to their recently-reissued 2011 debut, Äppelträdet (review here). They’ve done nothing but kill it ever since.
They join a lineup headed by Ufomammut with more still to be announced — like another headliner — and from here on out will be a big reason I’m looking forward to getting back to Norway this Fall.
The fest’s announcement follows, as per the social medias:
Finally we have the pleasure of welcoming the Swedish giants in Skraeckoedlan to Høstsabbat!
It’s been a long time coming. This band has nothing but gained reputation and following since their debut in 2010. We can’t get away from mentioning their stunning debut album “Äppelträdet”, which already is a classic amongst the fans.
With their recent epos “Earth”, released last Friday, cemented their place as pioneers of spaced out, psychedelic stoner rock. In collab with the Swedish writer Nils Håkanson, they have painted their own universe, with the first half of the album portraying the underworld, and the latter describing what’s happening on the surface of the Earth, amongst mammoths, octopuses and otherwordly creatures.
Make no mistake, this is a masterpiece, and we are proud to have them come play Høstsabbat with this effort in their back pockets. Sweden has proven their magic again.
Posted in Whathaveyou on February 20th, 2019 by JJ Koczan
I am extraordinarily pleased to say that I’ve been invited back to Oslo once again, in order to cover Høstsabbat 2019. I was keeping my fingers crossed especially after this past October’s festival was such an awesome time, and seeing the lineup involved with the 2019 edition come together, with Ufomammut, Belzebong, Slabdragger was a joy even before I knew I’d be there to see it, because the event is so clearly committed to growing and expanding its own aesthetic horizons. When it comes to expanding horizons, having Denmark’s Papir on board certainly won’t hurt.
The instrumentalist progressive heavy psychedelic rockers have a new album in the works for release later this year — maybe sometime around their hitting Oslo? — and given how utterly-on-board-nerd I was for their last outing, 2017’s V (review here), and the general direction of the band into the grander reaches of the grand ol’ far-out, it’s one more thing to look forward to about that trip which, unless a piano falls on my head between now and then, I’ll be making for sure.
Announcement came through the social media:
Høstsabbat 2019 – Papir
After being a festival since 2013, it’s weird to acknowledge we haven’t had any Danish acts on stage at Høstsabbat. Obviously our focus has been on Sweden and Norway, but we are very happy to be able to announce the second band from Denmark this year for Høstsabbat 2019. Papir is a stranger to no one, as they’ve been at the forefront of the European psychrock-scene for years. Their instrumental sound is like a sweet lullaby, with their mellow, lush and straight up beautiful soundscapes. It might sound like the biggest cliché, but with these guys, taking you on a soulful trip into a dreamlike state of mind couldn’t be more accurate.
They are releasing their new album later this year, and we are sure it will blend well into their already splendid discography, spanning almost ten years back. In addition to their studio albums, Papir are subject to fantastic live recordings, in particular the documentation of the PAPERMOON SESSION, a live collab with our friends from last year, Electric Moon.
We surely hope all of you Sabbathians look as much forward to welcoming Papir as we do!
Posted in Whathaveyou on February 4th, 2019 by JJ Koczan
It’ll be the devil’s church for sure when Oslo’s own The Devil and the Almighty Blues take the stage at Kulturkirken Jakob for Høstsabbat 2019. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing the Norwegian heavy blues rockers live before, and Høstsabbat isn’t kidding when they talk about their stage presence. The five-piece have a tendency to own the room when they play, and while it’s easy to imagine them bringing that to the Chapel stage and play on the altar for the fest, though I could also picture them crowded into the basement to headline one of the nights down there in the spirit of Brutus this past year. Either way, having them aboard only makes the Høstsabbat lineup — which also features the likes of Ufomammut, LLNN, Slabdragger, Stuck in Motion and Belzebong — that much stronger.
Word from the fest came out through the social medias thusly:
HØSTSABBAT 2019 – THE DEVIL AND THE ALMIGHTY BLUES
Finally, it’s time for another Høstsabbat announcement.
We can assure you it’s been worth the wait. It’s with tangling excitement we can announce Oslo and Norway’s finest. The bearded 5-piece that is The Devil And The Almighty Blues, will do ONE SHOW ONLY on Norwegian soil this year, and luckily for all of us, it goes down at The Chapel stage at Høstsabbat. We couldn’t be more stoked.
The delta-infused, greasy AF sound of these guys have proven to be something sorely missed in the heavy underground. It’s vintage in a way that is not vintage, and most importantly, it feels heartfelt, not like something created to go by certain trends. The Devil and The Almighty Blues is the real deal. No kidding around.
With their new album out this Spring, we are eagerly awaiting their unfuckwittable stage presence, giving us tunes from their already almost ten year long career.
Posted in Whathaveyou on December 14th, 2018 by JJ Koczan
Yeah, it’s been like three days since the last time I posted an update from Høstsabbat 2019. Maybe two days? Let me look… Oh shit, it was yesterday. Well, alright. Not my fault that as they come upon their ticket on-sale date, the Oslo-based fest is doling out bands at such a rate. And who the hell wants to risk falling behind? Certainly not me.
The latest to join next October’s shindig in the ol’ culturechurch is Belzebong, the Polish ultrastoner-sludge veterans whose new album, Light the Dankness (review here), has already seen them on tour in Europe. They’ll hit the US as well to participate in the Psycho Smokeout come April, and no doubt they’ll be on the road duly between the two events as well, giving the people what they want like you got to do when what the people want is dank riffing and crusty grooves.
At least we know from when Toner Low played this year that all the lights upstairs at the Kulturkirken Jakob can be turned green.
From the social medias:
Please welcome BelzebonG back to Høstsabbat!
Since their last visit in 2015, the polish dudes have become a trademark of instrumental stoner doom in its purest form. Their recent album “Light The Dankness”, out October 2018 on Emetic Records, shows a band who is confident in their expression and at the top of their game, showing no sign of slowing down.. except for the actual tempo of the songs of course.
The sound of this amazing record is so rich, heavy and full of low end, it’s no surprise it went through the hands of Chris Fielding at Skyhammer Studio. It’s like joining Belzebong for a rehearsal, while your body is being encompassed by their riffs and you find yourself numb and lost in their hazy smoke. It’s glorious.
After touring Europe numerous times, playing Psycho Las Vegas, and even returning to the US for the first Psycho Smokeout next spring, we are stoked they’ll make a return to Høstsabbat.
We can’t wait for them to cast their green shadow over the Chapel stage at Høstsabbat 2019.
Posted in Whathaveyou on December 13th, 2018 by JJ Koczan
Swedish heavy hippie rockers kind of quietly released one of 2018’s best debut albums in their June-issued self-titled debut. Hard to imagine some label won’t pick it up for another round of vinyl, but whether you hear it on a platter or through a bluetooth speaker from your phone, the thing absolutely oozes vibe. It’s in clear recognition of this that the three-piece were recently added to Roadburn 2019 (I wrote the announcement; info here), and the 2019 edition of Oslo-based Høstsabbat is following suit in bringing them to Norway next October. I do not for one second imagine they will be the last to do so.
The only question is whether they’ll be in the crypt or on the altar. I hope I get to find out.
The fest made the announcement thusly:
It’s been a very busy week for everyone following Høstsabbat on SoMe, and we apologize if you feel we’re spamming your news feed. Sometimes things happen simultaneously, and you just gotta go with the flow.
If one word can describe our next announcement for Høstsabbat Festival, October 2019, it’s FLOW.
Once again, we’ve had our eyes peeled on Sweden, and once again, we’ve found pure gold.
Out of Enköping, Stuck in Motion’s debut album struck a nerve with us at Høstsabbat, and the self titled album released June this summer, has been playing on repeat for a great part of this fall. The craftsmanship is top shelf, and the whole album feels timeless in a modern, almost indescribable way. They utilize both their native language as well as English, and the vocals from Max Kinnbo and Adrian Noren floats like a velvet blanket on top of the bands gentle groove and lush sound. Stuck in Motion gives us psychedelic blues at its finest, and just like the weather outside today, it feels very refreshing, and makes you wanna dive right in.
We predict a blinding future for this three-piece, launching with their appearance at Roadburn Festival next spring. We are proud to invite Stuck in Motion at such an early stage, as we fell totally in love with their realm.
We surely think you will do to!
Catch Stuck in Motion for the first time in Norway at Høstsabbat October 4th- 5th, 2019, in Kulturkirken JAKOB.
Posted in Whathaveyou on November 16th, 2018 by JJ Koczan
I’m just going to guess that whatever city office in Oslo is in charge of allowing bands into historical landmarks has never heard of Ufomammut, otherwise they’d almost certainly never risk having the Italian cosmic doom magnates play at Høstsabbat 2019 for the very reasonable fear of their rumbling the Kulturkirken Jakob to the ground. I can just picture it: the three of them on that altar stage, and their unmatched heft of wash reverberating from that high ceiling in the church and the back wall, feeding back onto itself until, everyone in attendance’s head goes all Scanners on them. Yes, it will be very, very heavy, but given the setting, it’ll be something really special as well. In all seriousness, it’s a great pick from the Høstsabbat crew.
And suitably enough, they’ll be headlining the Altar stage. That’s one of two headliners unveiled for Høstsabbat 2019. Any guesses on the other? I’ve got a wishlist, but after seeing Toner Low this year, I don’t think I dare actually speculate.
Here’s the festival’s announcement:
HØSTSABBAT 2019 – UFOMAMMUT
For twenty years, these three phsychsters have been making waves, seismic waves, in our underground community. It is with great pride we are able to welcome UFOMAMMUT to Høstsabbat, treating us with a special set celebrating their 20th anniversary, showcasing the depth and width of their seemingly neverending career in heavy music.
Gaining momentum after every single release, these fine Italians are masters of their craft. Pushing boundaries album after album, touching new ground as they simultaneously reap their gains, Ufomammut are pioneers of the underground, giving their audience crushingly heavy, psyched out pieces of art, almost more than music.
To have them headline the Chapel stage in the church feels surreal, and we can only imagine what it will do to you. Buckle up, Sabbathians. You’re in for a ride!
Posted in Whathaveyou on October 26th, 2018 by JJ Koczan
Yes, Høstsabbat is still pretty fresh in mind, considering the 2018 edition just took place at the start of this month. All the better than to look forward to Høstsabbat 2019 in Oslo at the Kulturkirken Jakob, as the fest puts early-bird tickets on sale as of today and announces Sunnata from Poland as the first band for the bill. Their heavy prog was most recently manifest in earlier-2018’s Outlands (review here), their third album, which ranged far into thoughtful composition of soundscapes and sundry spheres of heavy. LLNN and Slabdragger have also been announced.
I don’t know that I’ll have the privilege of being in Norway next Fall to see them — even if I’m invited, it’s hard to know what a year from now will bring; always possible a piano falls on my head out of the sky and that’s feeling more and more likely all the time — but I’ll be keeping up with Høstsabbat 2019 either way as I believe in their project and the developing personality of the festival was clearly on display in the church this year.
More to come, I guess is what I’m saying. For now, here’s this:
Høstsabbat 2019 – Oct. 4 & 5
The SOLD OUT Høstsabbat 2018 at Kulturkirken Jakob really exceeded our expectations and was a joy from start to end. In 2019 we are ready to make an even better festival.
Early Bird tickets will be out this Friday 26th of October, and we will start to release the first bands very soon.
Høstsabbat 2019 will once again go down October 4th and 5th at Kulturkirken JAKOB. A stunning church in the heart of Oslo, with an atmosphere unrivalled.
Over two days you will experience slow and crushing doom, heavy bluesrock, stoner, proto-heavy metal, psychedelic spacerock and prog.
As last year there will be two alternating stages with their own unique vibe. In the church room you will find the stunning main stage, The Chapel. This room will fit all of you. The second stage, The Crypt, is a smaller club stage in the basement with all the dungeon vibes needed. When the capaCity is reached in The Crypt, there will be one person out one person in-principle.
There will be an even bigger outdoor tent this year connected to the church where there will be a lot of seatings, great barbecue food (for both meat lovers and vegans), refreshing drinks and smashing band merchandise.
Høstsabbat will showcase the best of the current underground scene of heavy music, bringing new talent as well as more established names.
Summon the spirits, gather the souls…
Sunnata
It is with great pleasure we are welcoming the first band to next years’ Høstsabbat.
We have said it before, and we are gladly repeating ourselves; The polish heavy underground is on fire. sunnata will be the third band we bring to Oslo from this booming scene.
With their recent album “Outlands”, they are manifesting their position as one of the most exciting bands out there, mixing eastern scales with layers of atmospheric instrumentation. Long passages of transcendental chanting let the listener soak and dwell in their realm, before a wall of riffs knocks you right in the gut, and awake you from a lucid dream.
Sunnata will leave the audience spellbound, when they close out their set October 2019.
We will unveil two more bands before the Early Bird tickets are out Friday at 12:00.
Sometimes it’s tempting, and might also be necessary, to give in for the darker emotions and let frustration and total aggression steer the wheel. One of the most angst-ridden, terrifying and straight up furious releases this year came out of the shores of Denmark. «Deads» put LLNN on the map of all things heavy once and for all. Some albums are better at channelling emotions than others, and this one you won’t forget.
Out on Pelagic Records, “Deads” scored LLNN gigs at Roadburn, Roskilde and Desertfest, letting this four-piece show off their intense live performance to a bigger audience. We have seen these guys on stage numerous times, and it’s something you do not want to miss.
We are proud to welcome the first danish act ever to Høstsabbat, October 2019. LLNN is not kidding around, they come to lay waste
The underground is important to Høstsabbat, not only here in Scandinavia, but we do our best to keep track with what’s happening elsewhere on our continent too.
The UK has been pioneering bands on the heavier, uglier side of things for years, and we’ve brought a few of them to our previous editions. Latest featured in the fabulous “The Doom Doc”, digging deep in the mentioned UK-scene, Slabdragger has been making waves for 10 years and has been a pivotal band in forming the quintessential UK sludge sound.
Their latest album “Rise of the Dawncrusher”, out on Holy Roar Records, starts off in an almost Sleep-esque groove, before the nastiness unveils gradually as clean vocals lose ground for growls and screams. We can only imagine how the massive physical impact of this record translates to their live performance. We are psyched to present the insanely heavy three piece that is SLABDRAGGER at Høstsabbat, October 2019.
EARLY BIRD TICKETS Early Bird-tickets is out in one hour at 12:00! Follow this link:http://bit.ly/Høstsabbat-earlybird(maximum 2 tickets each)
