Before; haunting the Chapel

At some point yesterday afternoon I did… something? to my knee. Maybe before Needlepoint played. I had been sitting on the thankfully clean floor near the front of the stage between acts, like you do to take pictures in sans-pit cases, and in getting up, felt and heard a pop, and it has hurt steadily since. Made it through the rest of the day, obviously, but by the time I was headed back to the hotel, was fairly well hobbling, and this morning that discomfort was right where I left it after my jetlagged ass slept for 10 hours last night. I can’t quite find a position for it between straight and bent that’s comfortable and my well-intentioned ‘see how it feels tomorrow’ plan feels as dumb as it is.

In addition to being old and out of any kind of shape that isn’t spheroid — plus I’m a wuss, if that wasn’t clear — it is a humbling reminder of the confirmed wreck that my body is, has always been. I would call it existentially unpleasant in an effort to sap it of an emotional context, which, while we’re here, also strikes me as ridiculous. Nonetheless, I hurt. I’m going to try to take it easy today, whatever that even means, and sit as much as I can, but I promise you, “sit as much as I can” is basically my motto for life. Put it on the family crest. Tattoo it on my arm on fancy script like a metalcore toughguy from the aughts. We are who we are. I remain approximately 40 percent human. The rest?

It’s a sunny day on Oslo and there are rad birds around to further the autumnal atmosphere of the city, or at least the block of it between the hotel and Kulturkirken Jakob. When I picture it, Oslo is overcast, so to see blue sky feels new, but no complaints.

Sturle Dagsland is soundchecking and already pushing his voice to frequencies usually reserved for amplified mosquitoes, so that should make for an interesting set. There’s time before we get there, so more coffee and lollygagging are the order of the moment. I suck at taking it easy. Thus xanax.

In case I don’t post again before I’m home, I want to extend my sincere thanks to Jens, Ole and Vesper for having me over once again. This festival is beautiful even when the music is at its ugliest, and for much more than the visual impact of the Kulturkirken Jakob, striking as that is. I deeply value the opportunity to come here and kick around my imposter syndrome for a couple days, see amazing stuff and do my best to convey a little bit of what it’s like to anyone else who might care enough to read. If that’s you (and if you’re seeing this, surprise! it is!), then thank you.

HØSTSABBAT 2022 NIGHT TWO

Sturle Dagsland

The music of everything and everything-is-music, Sturle Dagsland was not alone on stage but is clearly driven toward artistic singularity just the same. Before he went on, there was a kind of mini-presentation of am Edvardprisen, a music prize that would seem to have been well earned, given what unfolded after. Experimentalism drawing on modern dance, electronic music, extreme metal, Wardruna-style Norse-ism, pop, indie, and a deeply varied swath of assorted styles like a shopping cart full of genre, he not only claimed the Edvardprisen but the award as well for the best leggings this year at Høstsabbat, though admittedly there was a dearth of competition in that regard. More art-house-appreciation than a rocking start to the day, the passion fueling the testing and passing of limits was palpable. Everybody has an inner clock for how much of that kind of thing they can absorb, of course, but it’s hard not to respect both the vision of a world music that comes from another world and the bravery to manifest it wholeheartedly on stage. From trumpet to flute to maybe-oboe, hands crashing through cymbals, hang-style drum, synth beats swelling and receding, keys, vocals in god knows how many octaves and time signatures, each short piece fed into an encompassing scope that was expressive beyond my language barrier to it and markedly individual.

Bismarck

Well then. Bismarck signed to Majestic Mountain today, and they debuted the rager “Sky Father” to mark the occasion. It was one among the multitude of pummelers they had on hand, and the lumbering groove, tonal largesse and atmoslusge heft was like a cold-cloth on a fevered soul. I stood, against better judgement, up front for about half the set and hung back thereafter, but my goodness this is what I need. When my son and I go on rollercoasters, the running joke is “this is what we need,” because if he doesn’t get that level of vestibular input periodically he loses his mind. If I don’t get regular doses of volume like this, it’s the same thing. Sometimes you just need to be crushed. Fortunately for me and whatever form of neural atypicality this represents — call it “doombrain” as a diagnostic shortcut — Bismarck were ready with a suitable nod of low end. They should give prizes for this kind of thing too. Or at least a grant, though I’ll admit that, being in a country that puts its money where its mouth is as regards funding, there may well already be such grants. In any case, Bismarck’s take on tone, ambience and aggression was just right in its moment, and I am swallowed by it.

Norna

Years from now I hope I’m able to recall Norna hitting the Chapel stage after Bismarck played in the Crypt and how good that one-two punch of weighted sludge felt. I don’t know that I’ll ever be able to listen to this band without thinking of Ole Helstad, one of the founders of Høstsabbat, who is a nigh-on-rabid fan, and one suspects that’s why they’re here — if you believe it should be otherwise, I would only ask what you think music is for in the first place — but that only made me want to see them more. Assured in craft and at times scathing in their delivery, they were a far cry from the deranged sensibilities of Indian last night, but showed how such leveling volume can be wielded toward ends as much about life as death. I say that, but they were largely unilateral in their destructive outletting, perhaps the moment when the old forest burns so that new growth can take hold. The band’s pedigree goes back decades to the more hardcore-minded Breach, and if Norna are post-that, they’re post- a few other things as well, but their sound held an urgency that felt born of a trash-punk youth, even if it’s long since left that style behind.

Dopelord

Stoner and doom! They mentioned from the stage that they were about to sing a song about the devil in a church, which if they did it in their home country of Poland would get them thrown in jail. I could see them catching flack for it — less likely imprisoned — in the US too, though that depends pretty much on the state. Another day carnival of weedian riffage here, I suppose. Dopelord’s resin-coated nod came through potent and duly sticky, guitars on either side of the stage leading through a well-constructed wall of distorted fog, lumbering like a dayjob but too stoned to hold one down. I’ve dabbled before in their studio stuff — a tourist’s interest in what I imagine even they’d have to admit is a pretty simple concept for a band; loud, thick riffs, big groove and the kind of themes that can get you arrested if sung in a Polish church — but the dual-vocal swaps lent character to what struck as a purposeful familiarity. That is, seeing them live, I don’t think they’re trying to get away with anything revolutionary so much as celebrating a specific stylistic and tonal ideal. Like the t-shirt says, “Sabbath worship.” The better bands are able to take that and make something of their own from it and I’ll happily put Dopelord in that category now that I’ve seen them. Also, the place went nuts for them, which, frankly, I get.

The Black Wizards

A boogie rock cover of “21st Century Schizoid Man?” Count me in. Portuguese trio The Black Wizards were good vibes even before they seemed to medley their way into and out again from the King Crimson classic, drawing on hard ’70s vibes with vigor enough to actually convey them. The Crypt was packed by the time I got there, but I wound up able to get a spot by the side of the stage area by following the band through the crowd as they went on. Dick move on my part, I guess, but it worked. The band brought a joyful shuffle from which the bass sounded especially smooth, and despite some feedback of the not-purposeful kind on the mics, they carried through with a bluesy spirit and a power trio ethic of bass and drums holding down the groove while the guitar solos. This, plus swing — which was in ready supply — equals the sum total of what one can reasonably ask, but the tempo shifts were a welcome bonus. The real test of boogie is can it twist, and The Black Wizards answered a hard yes. Their set was tight but fun, classic drawing as much from more modern interpretations of ’70s heavy as from that era itself, and the solos when they came were the kind of thing you’d answer with a fire wmoji, maybe followed by a heart, your choice, red or green. They could play, and knew it, but there was no pretense whatsoever about what they were doing. I think this might just be what party rock sounds like in Europe now. Cool by me. Probably really cool by Graveyard, who’ll play soon up in the Chapel.

Årabrot

People worship this band. Like, religiously. I’m not arguing with doing so; just noting there’s a cult for Årabrot and I’m on the outside of it. In fact, this was my first time seeing them, which is something I think put me in the minority among the crowd assembled for their set. My knee was ‘barking,’ in the parlance of not-at-all-our times, so somehow it made more sense to go up to the Galleri — happy to call it what the sign says — rather than attempt to stay up front to get pictures. If you’ve been waiting to see me try and fail to get decent shots of Årabrot, I apologize. I don’t have a bad word to say about what I saw of their set, save maybe for ‘shit’ in the context of ‘well shit, I should probably listen to more Årabrot,’ though I knew that going into the experience. Love the Americana-that-isn’t via Sisters of Mercy post-noise rock though, and I respect both the niche and the performance aspect — they weren’t just playing; it was a show, costumes, hat and all — even if I’m still not ready to sign up for cult. They pulled the biggest crowd of Høstsabbat thus far though — I had a good view — and the Chapel seemed duly fit for worship. Fine. Again, I’m not ragging on it — I promise you I’m not — but I’d been looking forward to what was going to unfold in the Crypt soon, so I left my Galleri perch well in time to get a spot up front in the basement. I do get to say I’ve seen Årabrot though, so that’s one for the résumé, which I’ll be sending out hopefully never again.

Slomatics

Got treated to a new song — the name of which I didn’t catch; was it “Mightor?” — during their soundcheck. That alone made me feel justified in showing up like 40 minutes before they went on. I be honest with you, they were what my weekend was building toward and there was about zero possibility short of their not making the trip that I was going to walk away from their set disappointed. Just no chance of it happening. Their set? Riff after lumbering riff exactly like I knew it would be, and I count myself extra lucky for having seen them twice this year. All that aural weight, bouncing off the ceiling, off the back wall of the Crypt, off the floor. It would have been devastating were it not rapturous. I don’t know if I’ve seen another complete set this weekend, but aside from the packed crowd behind where I was up by the stage monitors, it was pretty clear early on that I was in it for the duration. No regrets. I closed my eyes, pulled my earplugs loose just for a minute of “And Yet it Moves” — you don’t want them out for long — and was perfectly content to nod my way into ultra-heavy oblivion. Marty Harvey vocals were low in the mix, but I actually suspect that was due more to where I had parked myself, and David Majury and Chris Couzens’ guitars, running through bass and guitar amps, offered maximum plunge. What an absolute fucking joy they were, and smiling and laughing and “skol”ing the crowd all the while. I could go on, but the bottom line is that anytime life affords you a chance to see Slomatics, you do it. Leaning there on my screwed up knee, sweaty, tired — that’s right I said I was tired at a rock and roll show, fight me; I’m like Prince fucking Valium out here — none of it or anything else mattered just for a little bit. Just to lose yourself in it for that little bit. An incomparable feeling.

Graveyard

I don’t want to say I wasn’t looking forward to seeing Graveyard — it’s been like seven years? — but they were the icing on my spire-shaped Høstsabbat cake, if you want to go that way with it. In fact, they were a thrill. I had a “oh yeah I know these songs!” moment early and from there it was just a matter of being reminded how much I actively like Graveyard. Joakim Nilsson, his head tilted just so, playing his hollow-body guitar, is aging into the bluesman he’s always been working toward being, and “Uncomfortably Numb” made the point all the more resonant. They’re pros to be sure. Now more than a decade removed from breaking through to a broader audience with 2012’s Hisingen Blues (review here), they’re every bit the headliner, and they played like it. Their influence over a generation of heavy rock, the way they took vintage methods and absolutely owned them. They played in the only spot they possibly could, which was last, and if they were the epilogue, then hell’s bells, what a story. “Ain’t Fit to Live Here.” Shit. Great band. I’ll leave it at that.

—

Before I turn you over to the rest of the photos (if you’re so inclined to check them out), one more word of thanks to Jens, Ole and Vesper, whose efforts now that the fest is over I hope make them proud. This thing they made was incredible, and the world is a better place because it happened. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. And thank you for reading, and thanks as always to The Patient Mrs., through whom all things are possible. My love.

More pics after the jump.
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Before, during Kanaan soundcheck

Almost three years to the day since I was last in Norway for Høstsabbat. Some things are different, some are not. I slept almost the entire flight. Blessed by Apollo (or whoever) with an empty seat next to me in a two-person row, I was able to lie down if not stretch out, and that second airline pillow is key.

I remembered to go to the right at Oslo airport to get to the trains even before I saw the sign not quite screaming in my face to do so, and got into town with enough time to crash for another hour before showering and trying to make myself look human enough to be in public for a while. One does one’s best, anyhow. We must acknowledge some causes long since lost. I’ve always thought of myself as more bridge than cave troll, but even that’s perhaps more romantic than “doughy suburban dad.”

In any case, people are busily busying themselves with busy-looking stuff. Laptops are out. I got told to remove my ass from the balcony a brief moment after taking a picture of the church itself — the venue,  Kulturkirken Jacob, is an old church repurposed as an arts/performance space, which is about the best fate one could ever hope for concerning a religious institution — so came downstairs to write, get more coffee and see who’s where. I have a press pass, so I think I can wander a bit. With an hour and a half till showtime, I should probably do that.

My expectations are high here based on prior experience with Høstsabbat, but more than anything I am humbled to be here at all among these incredible people and the likewise incredible event they’re about to make happen. One hopes to stay out of the way, will likely fail. Fair enough.

Kanaan just started playing full volume. Only for a minute, but it was a welcome reminder: Everything’s going to be okay once the music starts. One more coffee before then, maybe.

HØSTSABBAT 2022 NIGHT ONE

Kanaan

Says something that even as Oslo’s own Kanaan celebrate their 2021 Earthbound (review here) LP by performing it in full, they’ve got two newer works out there as well in the 27-minute piece “Beyond” included on a four-way split through Worst Bassist Records and the forthcoming album, Diversions Vol. I: Softly Through Sunshine on Jansen. They are ascendant as well as prolific, each outing offering something new or at least a broadened take on what came before. I feel like I have a better understanding having seen them live, even if a full-album set isn’t the most representative of their work on the whole, their range was by no means absent from that material, however terrestrial it may be on relative terms. Drums, guitar/bass/synth, and guitar all in a line near the front of the stage, Kanaan pulled a packed house early crowd and the audience clearly were not showing up by happenstance. All hall the next generation. Capital-‘h’ Heavy needs this turnover to happen desperately in the next few years, and if Kanaan are among the vanguard for it, so much the better for the intricacy of what they play and the obvious heart with which they play it. They killed and sound like they’re only getting better. Now I get to say both I’ve seen them and that I ‘prefer the live version’ of Earthbound. Ultimate snobbery.

Kosmik Boogie Tribe

My camera fell out of my bag before their set. Full height, cosmic backpack betrayal. Imagine seeing the nicest thing you own bounce off a cement floor. I said a very loud, very much in English “fuck!” but it turned out okay. Might be time for a new camera bag, but will be extra careful in the meantime. Fortunately Kosmik Boogie Tribe were a salve for such concerns, blowing the dust off soul and floor alike with their classic, somehow punk-ish heavy rock and roll. This was riffs, beer, maybe the odd bit of what they call ‘flower’ now that it’s legal where I live. Good vibes, high energy, and no screwing around despite all the screwing around. Aside from my relief and not, you know, needing a new camera, I was pulled in by Kosmik Boogie Tribe’s infectious energy and shut-up-and-go, 1-2-3-4-play verve. Rock and roll can be an outright blast when you do it right. I was only passingly familiar before, so relished the chance to see them open in the crypt, which was immediately full. I hate to think of Høstsabbat outgrowing that space — they say to show up early, and I did — but they had a line of people waiting to get into the space in front of the not-quite-a-stage, and reasonably so. It was packed in there. Better show up early next time too. Kosmik Boogie Tribe had a couple live LPs for sale, and seemed well on board for sonic shenanigans, leaving me with the best kind of homework to do later on.

Needlepoint

I suppose it would be too unsuitable to their ultra-mellow, vibe-minded style to say Needlepoint made waves with 2021’s Walking Up That Valley (review here). Gentle waves, then, to coincide with the melodies with which they and you while listening seem to be taking a casual pleasant stroll that then turns into the kind of conversation about life that changes the way you think, ever so slightly, but more than you realize. I would be willing to bet actual kroner that every single guy in this band was at some point the best player in another band. They’re technical enough to be a showcase, but that melody highlights an utter disinterest in that particular kind of indulgence. Instead, Needlepoint, who are from here, focus on the organic,  a kind of particularly Scandinavian folk moving in along with the jazzy drums, smooth, smooth, smooth basslines and interweaving progressions of keys/organ and finger-plucked guitar, Bjørn Klakegg’s likewise soft vocal delivery reinforcing the intent without over-selling it or coming across as hackneyed. I went upstairs to the balcony to watch the full set and they were done before I even knew it was time. Bonus kudos, as the dudes from Kanaan were down the front the whole set. One can only imagine the drummer-chat that will ensue likely a respectable amount of time after Needlepoint’s gear is off stage. These guys are classy, no need to bother immediately.

U-FOES

I must’ve listened to U-FOES before but could not tell you when. In any case, their noise, sludge-more-in-tone-than-mindset take on hardcore-bred riffing was a hilarious enough contrast to Needlepoint immediately prior that it felt like everyone was in on the gag, which is how it should be if you’re going to do that kind of thing. I didn’t stay long, wanted to grab more coffee, check in at home, etc., but I could hear them through the floor up in the chapel a few minutes later and they sounded duly caustic. Hey, I’m from the Northeastern corridor of the United States, ergo, it’s not my first time hearing hardcore and metal and sludge get slammed together for the sake of aural and artistic release, and while they weren’t really my thing, rest assured that’s on me, not them. Dressed all in white with strobe a-plenty for lighting, they balanced a raw sound of guitar, drums, vocals against a markedly severe atmosphere and hit into some hard grooves along the way.

The Moth Gatherer

Stockholm’s The Moth Gatherer had me by the time they were halfway into “The Drone Kingdom” from 2019’s Esoteric Oppression, and that opened the set. Best bit of post-metal I’ve seen on this stage since Amenra, and I remembered seeing The Moth Gatherer here in 2018 (review here), the difference between that set and this one is this time they were upstairs and absolutely owned the room. Barking vocals, undulating nod, atmospheric sludge-style riffing, lurch, immersion, the whole nine. Some clean vocals changed things up fluidly, but the lesson learned is that clearly I should go back an album or two and give them another shot. Not too many surprises — and to be fair, they’re not really playing to a style that offers them once you know what you’re looking for, but their stage presence was unquestionable and they found a place between the destructive and restorative that made them hypnotic to watch even before the video projections or strobe effects were factored in. Høstsabbat has expanded enough that it’s impossible to see all of it — that’s freeing, in a way, since one feels less obliged to do so — but I felt no doubt in watching The Moth Gatherer that I was at the right place at the right time.

Orkan

Jetlag and boogie do not historically mix, but Orkan are infectious just the same. With the Swedish five-piece taking the floor in the Crypt, Høstsabbat enters the sax-inclusive portion of the evening, and Orkan put theirs to good use, incorporating the brass as part of their classic-heavy-derived sound while leaving room for the dual guitars and the harmony-prone, just-about-everybody-sings-at-one-point-or-another vocal arrangements. Zero complaints whatsoever, except perhaps the lack of room with the crowd press behind me to give their songs the softshoe they deserved. Also I did something to my knee, because I am old. The point is that Orkan, who were had all the ’70s in their sound you could possibly ask for without actually being 70 years old, were a band I’d probably just about never get to see, and that’s worth cherishing, softshoe or no. I scuttled off to the side of the room and sat for a few, just kind of taking in that vibe, and as with everything else I saw at Høstsabbat night one, they were united to the rest of the lineup by a broadly-defined sense of what makes music heavy. In this case, it was their ability to make their sound move, and to make it fun. They seemed pretty serious about what they were doing, but loosened up as they went on, and sure enough, it was a party.

REZN

I’ve written a fair amount about Chicago’s REZN, and as soon as I hammer out the liner notes for their upcoming PostWax collaboration with Vinnum Sabbathi from Mexico I’ll have written more, but I don’t think I ever really got it until seeing them play. They hit the Chapel stage with little to no ceremony and set about unfolding a droney, psychedelic reach that felt like it was going for miles — kilometers, if you’d rather. Peppered with sac and synth, further distinguished by soft-delivered soulful vocals that brought an entirely serene spirit to even the heaviest moments, they were powerful in the sense of making air move from and around amps, but there’s just so much to hear in their sound. Sometimes it’s Dead Meadow offset by Chicagoan post-metallic crunch, and sometimes it’s the bounce and melodymaking of Mars Red Sky with synth filling out what might otherwise be empty spaces in the sound, but any angle you want to take, their set was gorgeous and I feel like I better appreciate what they do having witnessed it in person; a clarification of who they are on record and a singular impression on the day. I went up and watched from the balcony and as they mood-drenched the whole church. Preach, dudes. They just announced a new record, too. I won’t say I wasn’t looking forward to it before, but only more so now.

MoE

They were awesome. Signed to the fest-associated Vinter Records label — see also Norna tomorrow — MoE, just to be clear, have nothing to do with the US jam band of the same name. They’re homegrown Norwegian, and with killer art-rock-via-Melvins-crunch, they were indeed a wondrous abomination to behold. The room was packed well in advance of their start. Between the push — all these humans — and the fact that if I hung out there much longer I was going to topple over the stage monitor, which would help nothing, I backed out quick and with not much mercy or apology. I guess you get to a certain point in the evening and there you go. I sort of hobbled to the back and stayed there for a while, the dual-vocal all-onslaught lumbering like a reminder that, yes, Indian were soon enough to go on upstairs. Another stark shift in style to suit the theme of the day of Høstsabbat gleefully refusing to only be one thing. MoE actually made the point pretty well, since they too were unhindered by whatever self-imposed rules might’ve otherwise held them back. Oh, and also? They were fucking loud. Don’t mistake me — everyone’s been loud. Needlepoint were loud. This was another kind of loud though. Your-earplugs-mean-nothing loud. Brutal without the death. Today was Bandcamp Friday. Next one I know where to put some money.

Indian

There are very few bands who are able to sound so specifically violent. Never mind the fact that they seem not so much to play their songs as to punch them, the scathing guitar noise, visceral screams and each and every crash-and-kick-drum combo hit all feel more like punishment than just about anyone else I can think of in any genre. They’re an emdgame for this thing that they do. There could not be anyone more extreme without it losing something from one side or another. Playing under plain white light that they demanded be brighter before starting, the Chicago four-piece set immediately about physically punishing the crowd and themselves alike with their music, an act of apparently empty catharsis otherwise surely they would’ve stopped by now. They are a tonal force, but it’s not even that, or the feedback, or the screaming or the floor took echoing through the church hall like it’s beating out a march to slaughter, it’s the way in which all of it bus so overwhelming as to trigger this fight or flight panic, like you either need to protect yourself from it or get the fuck out. I’ve seen a lot of bands. A stupid number; I couldn’t even guess. But Indian are their own nightmare. There’s blood and sharp things and I think someone’s crying somewhere? You’ll remember it when you wake up. An infliction of a band and more. Fuck it. None nastier.

—

More pics after the jump.

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What more do you need to know? The e’er venerable parties behind Høstsabbat have snagged a mean-as-hell lineup for 2022, and they’re topping it off by swapping out Dead Meadow — who rule, don’t get me wrong, but couldn’t ultimately make the trip for whatever reason — for mainstay Swedish classicists Graveyard as headliners for a multinational conglomeration of a bill that ranges no less in style than it does in geography. Of course, due showcase position is given to Norwegian acts, as Høstsabbat has always done, but a return from Slomatics and appearances from Polish slammers Dopelord, Chicago’s Indian, Orkan from Sweden, REZN from the US and others assures that the scope wants for nothing, although even if the bill listed below was only the Norway natives, I’d still probably call this a badass lineup. Not my fault the Norwegian underground is incredible.

Cool fest growing, getting weirder, going further into the aesthetic ether. I missed this one last year and it was a heartbreaker. I hope I get to go this time, for reasons both hug- and riff-based.

Poster art is unveiled as of right this second. Design is by Spectral Ecstasy, and you’ll find it below (click to enlarge) along with the now-complete lineup for the two days Oct. 7-8.

Dig:

GRAVEYARD (SE)

Since 2006 the moody, hard rocking, bluesy balladry of Gothenburg’s Graveyard has served as a large part of the benchmark for the retro Scandinavian rock movement.
With an evolutionary history and output, they have inspired as many bands as their classic anthem laden guitar rock resembles from a time long past.

Their strong, neo psychedelic flourish and warm, retro drenched tonality has cut a forerunning path central to the breakthrough of our beloved, once underground, retro-style 70´s inspired scene.

Effortlessly gliding from dirty desert groove complete with stoner tinged, string bending solos to hard galloping rock and roll without losing momentum or vibrancy, alongside a signature raspy croon which exudes wanton humanity and pensive vulnerability.

Graveyard continually deliver a bountiful and gripping sonic experience with writing that consistently ebbs, flows and evolves through rich, heartfelt riffs, screaming solos and swinging groove and rhythm galore.

Without further ado, Høstsabbat is both proud and thrilled to welcome Graveyard as our last lineup addition to the 2022 edition in the church of riffs.

Thanks so much for your support, Sabbathians.

HØSTSABBAT 2022 Lineup:
Graveyard (SE)
Indian (US)
REZN (US)
Spaceslug (PL)
Årabrot (NO)
Dopelord (PL)
Slomatics (IE)
MoE (NO)
Needlepoint (NO)
Norna (SE/CH)
Kanaan (NO) – plays “Earthbound”
The Black Wizards (PT)
Orkan (SE)
Vi som älskade varandra så mycket (SE)
Bismarck (NO)
Kosmik Boogie Tribe (NO)
Håndgemeng (NO)
Agabas (NO)
Astralplane (NO)
U-Foes (NO)
Filthdigger (NO)
Kobol (NO)
ARV (NO)
Karavan (NO)
Gunerius & Verdensveven (NO)
Sturle Dagsland (NO)

Official poster design by Spectral Ecstasy.

TICKETS: https://bit.ly/HS-festivalpass

SPOTIFY PLAYLIST
https://spoti.fi/3tkuMZl

NEWSLETTER
https://bit.ly/HostsabbatNews

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http://hostsabbat.no/

Graveyard, “Hisingen Blues” live in Stockholm, Sweden, 2022

Obviously, Årabrot are the ‘big name’ here, but I’d like to go ahead and draw your attention to Norwegian progressive rockers Needlepoint, also announced for Høstsabbat 2022 in this past week’s round of daily updates. Stickman Records early in 2021 released that band’s Walking Up That Valley (review here) LP, and yeah, it’s the kind of record that, if you were putting together a festival to take place the better part of two years after it’s out, you might still want the band to play. Of course, it’s entirely possible Needlepoint will have a new album out by then — I’ve heard nothing, know nothing, as ever — but the point stands.

Also, for anyone looking for outright crush, there’s Bismarck, who offer it aplenty, and you can also see Høstsabbat expanding its reach here with Agabas and VSÆVSM, whose abbreviated name I won’t even attempt to pronounce, let alone the full thing, which I won’t even attempt to cut and paste. It is important to know your own limits. Anyhow, if you’ve got a quota for “out there” with your crush and your prog and your whatever Årabrot are, consider it met.

Tickets are on sale as of this past Friday, as the fest reaffirmed on socials:

HØSTSABBAT 2022 – TICKETS ON SALE

Finally, festival passes for Høstsabbat 2022 are out!

Tap the ticket link below and grab them while you can.
https://bit.ly/HS-festivalpass

‘VSÆVSM’
Vi som älskade varandra så mycket (SE)

We’re beyond psyched to announce the welcoming of our Swedish friends in VSÆVSM. These guys work around the common denominator of the random heavy festival, and their uncompromising hardcore-take on the heavy, along with their shiver-inducing wall of noise makes them a perfect addition to Høstsabbat 2022.

Intensely emotive and harshly grandiose, VSÆVSM presents us with an epically atmospheric experience built on a foundation of constantly melodic despair.

With an energy that is deafeningly bleak yet somehow triumphant, lashings of post-hardcore/post-rock/ early 2000’s screamo blend seamlessly to create a truly unique, dynamic, and extreme cinematic impact.

Please join us in welcoming Vi som älskade varandra så mycket to this year’s lineup.

NEEDLEPOINT (NO)

Høstsabbat has never been, and never will be, a festival aiming for the biggest names or the most profiled musicians. But if you love a band, and they happen to check a couple of those boxes AND want to play your fest? What are you gonna do?

Give them the best possible welcome obviously. It might be a small step to mankind, but a positive step for us.

We are truly humbled and very proud to present this star-drizzled lineup for all you Sabbathians. Needlepoint brings us jazzy, smoothly progressive and psychedelic tapestries, woven from an impressive and meandering kaleidoscope of folk and prog -rock fusion.

Join us in the church of riffs this October and experience Needlepoint’s placid psychedelic milieu.

BISMARCK (NO)

Powerful dissonance and colossal riffs are just the tip of the iceberg when referring to our next lineup announcement.

Bismarck is a force of nature unto themselves with their uncompromising vision and pristine production quality. Meditatively provocative, Bismarck Official beautifully blend Eastern melodies, impressive vocals sometimes even bordering on the chantingly shamanic, droning guitar and low-end textures with their interpretation of western esotericism via altered states of consciousness and mystical apocalypse.

The result is gripping in atmosphere and inescapable heaviness balanced by gutting darkness and exhilarating glimpses of light through crushing intensity.

We’re thrilled to welcome Bismarck to the ranks of Høstsabbat 2022.

ÅRABROT (NO)

Sometimes a band comes along that simply defies the box of conventional classification and the power of adjectives is completely lost in the shadow of their art. Årabrot happens to be one of those bands.

Since their humble beginning, Årabrot has proven to be masters of their craft and defining themselves as a commanding presence on stage as well as a truly motivational entity for the underground scene in Norway. Their evolution has been fascinating to follow and one never knows what they will do next. What we do know, is that Årabrot will always fearlessly push boundaries, constantly moving forward, ambitiously innovative in their overall sound and their very own Church of Årabrot aesthetics.

Their astonishing progression will speak for itself, given the 8 long years since they last visited Høstsabbat. The seamless transition to having Karin Park in a now more central role results in an organic fusion of old school Årabrot-riffary and Karin’s futuristic synth-induced endeavours, and the result is nothing less than compelling.

Årabrot is a band for the future. The noise rock-gothic rock gospel of Årabrot aren’t just songs that they perform, nor are the people behind the music simply musicians- they are each art pieces unto themselves.
The Årabrot experience is a malevolent, melodic sonic macrocosm that displays transcendent power, purpose and infinite mystery.

Please welcome the church of Årabrot to our church of riffs for Høstsabbat 2022!

AGABAS (NO)

Today’s lineup announcement is Agabas who give us their own unique genre of extreme “Death Jazz;” a relentlessly pounding and profane amalgamation of death/black metal and jazz.

Evocative and melodic even with their aggressively harsh vocalization, we find undulating clarinet, pounding percussion, and even saxophone interweaved effortlessly amongst an intensely seething pit of guitar and a raging rhythm section.

Agabas forge a path through uncharted territory waging an all-out war on the convention of all four genres yet marrying them in a way that seems almost organic. The persistence of their jazzy interludes consistently cuts the tightly wound metallic atmosphere to shreds like a seething river of lava laying waste to all in its path. The flow is undeniable yet alarmingly hideous and captivating at once.

Let’s welcome Agabas and their extreme Death-Jazz machine to Høstsabbat 2022.

TICKETS
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SPOTIFY PLAYLIST
https://spoti.fi/3tkuMZl

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Needlepoint, Walking Up That Valley (2021)

Starting last Friday — golly the glut of Friday announcements is exhausting — Oslo-based festival Høstsabbat 2022 began unveiling bands for its lineup this October. What’s more, they put earlybird tickets on sale with only Poland’s Spaceslug confirmed to appear and sold them out in eight minutes. Not too shabby. If you’ve ever been to Høstsabbat, that will only make perfect sense to you.

Orkan, my heavy sci-fi heroes in Slomatics and Karavan have since joined the lineup and I’m sure by the time this is posted they’ll have added more and I’ll already be behind because that’s how it goes with daily announcements. I’ve been and will continue to share the confirmations on social media as I’ve seen them come through my feed. I do my best to keep up. It is almost never enough to put my brain at ease.

This fest is great, the people, the place, the sound and experience. I was sad to miss it last Fall. I’ll be sad this year if I miss it again. So it goes.

From socials:

HØSTSABBAT 2022

Holy shit! We already sold out the Early Bird tickets…

In 8 minutes. You guys are crazy! THANK YOU.

So sorry to everyone who missed out. The rest of the tickets will be out next Friday.

In the meantime, look out for more exciting band announcements coming at you each day!

SPACESLUG (PL)

Friday is upon us, and what better way to kick off the weekend vibes than announcing our first band and Early Bird tickets for this year’s festival. And that’s not all. Over the next weeks, a new band will be added to the line-up each day. Let’s go!

Høstsabbat is delighted to bring you the magic of SPACESLUG, coming to Norway for the first time ever.

It’s no secret we have had our keen eyes on the thriving Polish doom scene for years. The soulful music this beautiful country keeps pouring into our scene illustrates a consistently heavy and deeply melodic presence which sets their particular scene apart in the richest and most enchanting of ways.

Spaceslug touches so many corners of our musical carpet, we feel they are the perfect fit for our first band announcement for Høstsabbat 2022 Seamlessly wandering from the Sabbathian swing to the darker complexity of the more post-rock and metal sounds, adding melody on top of their riffage. Harmonies even. The result is often hauntingly beautiful and masterfully heavy all at once.

Spaceslug is coming to slay.

ORKAN (SE)

Thank you for yesterday’s incredible response to our first band announcement of Spaceslug and Early Bird ticket sales.

Today we bring you our second band announcement and it’s a melodic, groovy pleasure to introduce Orkan to the Høstsabbat 2022 lineup.

In anticipation of their new album “Livsgaranti” due out in May, we take a deep dive into their organically melodic, 70’s influenced hard prog, and can’t wait for October to find ourselves immersed in their strong and expressive rhythm and vocal stylings, brilliant percussive elements and raucous riffage.

Toe-tapping, and catchy to the max, Orkan not only give us a swinging groove but let loose a slightly gritty, beautiful, idealistic freedom and elicit nostalgic vibes of decades gone by and simpler times long past.

Please give Orkan a warm Høstsabbat welcome!

SLOMATICS (IE)

The weekend draws to a close on this fine Sabbath Sunday and we welcome our third line-up announcement for Høstsabbat 2022.

We are thrilled to bring you the primal tidal wave of heaviness that is the magnificent Slomatics!

Slomatics have created a seminal benchmark in the doom scene for continuously manufacturing unrelentingly high calibre, expansive, sludgy heft.

Harnessing bone-shattering power alongside a tremendously stunning vocal range, a cavernous depth results from the beautiful, booming force of the interplay between thick walls of rhythm and oscillating guitar.

Crushing heaviness is the hallmark of the Slomatics experience and we can’t wait to welcome them back to Oslo for the first time since 2016.

KARAVAN (NO)

Happy Monday, Sabbathians.

We weren’t joking around with the promise of a daily onslaught of announcements for Høstsabbat 2022.

The way we figure it, why make you wait? We’ve got the goods and we’re letting it loose for you. And while Mondays are mostly blue, let’s hope today’s announcement can make your day slightly lighter with some heavy tunes.

We take pride in having our eyes and ears open to when new riffage unveils itself throughout our country, and we’ve had our sights on a new three-piece going at it full throttle, down in the southwest.

Distinctly dirty like devious denizens of a cold and dank cave comes the ghoulish rumbling of Karavan and they pick up on the classic stoner-doom sentiment that got Høstsabbat going in the first place. Despite being formed in 2019, they are already causing waves, and we are stoked to welcome Karavan to our 2022 edition.

Tickets go on sale at 12:00 sharp, Friday the 25th so keep an eye out. Cheers!

SPOTIFY PLAYLIST
https://spoti.fi/3tkuMZl

NEWSLETTER
https://bit.ly/HostsabbatNews

https://www.facebook.com/hostsabbat/
https://www.instagram.com/hostsabbat/
http://hostsabbat.no/

Spaceslug, “Spring of the Abyss” official video