Howling Giant, In the Company of Serpents, Woorms, Insomniac, Kult Ikon, Hot Ram, Shadowcloak and Hashwitch are the new additions to complete the lineup for Asheville Doomed and Stoned Chapter II, joining Duel, 16, Horseburner and the rest from the prior announcement for the two-dayer set for July 17-18 at The Odd and Sly Grog.

The festival is put together at the behest of Grasping Air Booking, and of the new names, Hashwitch — also stylized HashWitch — are a new one for me, so I took like two seconds to open up a new tab and hit their Bandcamp, where I found 2023’s WitchTracks demo, which is just as raw as you please and likely the stonedest thing you’ll hear today unless you’re partying with Toner Low or Bongzilla. It’s three songs and dank enough for twice that.

It’s cool to see Insomniac continuing their momentum here, but I’ll note as well Howling Giant making a deserved forward step to headliner status following 2025’s Crucible & Ruin (review here), which was my pick for album of the year and won the year-end poll too, handily. They’re on the West Coast now and will do UK/Europe in May, and I can’t help but wonder if the East Coast isn’t next up over the summer, but they’re in Nashville, so if this is a one-off, fair enough. We’ll see.

Either way, they’re topping a badass bill here. The lineup announcement follows, as per social media, and I included the HashWitch stream because damn that’s stoned. Enjoy:

Asheville Doomed and Stoned Chapter II: July 17th and 18th complete lineup announced!

Absolutely stoked to announce the Full Lineup for Asheville Doomed and Stoned Chapter II.

Howling Giant
Duel
-(16)-
Order of the Owl
Horseburner
In The Company Of Serpents
Woorms
Crop
Insomniac
False Gods
We Follow The Earth
Kult Ikon
Ice Howl
Hot Ram
Weight Shift
Shadowcloak
Hashwitch

Limited Weekend passes are on sale now and single day tickets will be on sale soon! Link in bio!

Epic flyer by: @ramza_illustration

Thanks to the sponsors: Black Doomba Records and Metal Forge Radio

Event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1499683465075843/

https://www.instagram.com/graspingairbooking/
https://www.facebook.com/p/Grasping-Air-Booking-100083003155541/

HashWitch, WitchTracks (2023)

Atlanta rollers o’ riff Hot Ram issue their new EP, Near Fall, today, Jan. 30. Comprised of three songs — get introduced: “Vimana Swamp” (7:27), “Black Weed” (6:02) and “Ironbound” (4:31) — it is a 17-minute onslaught of sludgecrete tones and gurgled vocals. Too thick to be slicing in the way sludge metal sometimes is, it retains a thoroughly stoner atmosphere via tempo languidity and tonal nod, growing more aggressive as it goes. Which is to say that “Ironbound,” a video for which is premiering below, hits hardest among the material included.

Bass, provided on “Ironbound” (and “Black Weed”) by Jerimy McNeil, who seems to have taken the role previously held by Dan Giampietro, is a big part of what makes it punch. With a chug that comes close to ’90s industrial if you squint your ears — guitarist/vocalist/engineer Billy Konkel switches to a cleaner chorus from the Godfleshier verse — “Ironbound” revels in the noise that “Black Weed” and “Vimana Swamp” are nodding toward. That doesn’t mean “Vimana Swamp” doesn’t have a bubbled-up-from-the-earth vibe enough to suit its title. Rest assured, it does. But while it remains very, very heavy, the way the riff settles back for the verse is a contrast, and it’s more about following the nod than getting smacked upside the head. Crushing feels like it goes without saying.

Near Fall is the first Hot Ram release in five years, so if it’s your first exposure to the band, you’re getting something of a compact summary of their take on stoner metal and sludge. The good news is you’ve got three records (and other stuff) you can go back and check out when you’re ready to hit it, the last of them was 2021’s Electric Medicine (review here). It might or might not be that Konkel (who is the remaining founding member), McNeil and drummer Dwayne Jones (Brian Ricks plays on these tracks) are thinking of it as a way to reintroduce themselves to listeners, but likely it didn’t start that way when recording began in 2022. Lineup changes would be part of a delay. Also life. Sometimes dank-ass riffy pummel takes a while. There’s your explanation.

But if it’s been around for a minute, that doesn’t make the Electric Wizardly riff of “Black Weed” any less potent. Hot Ram, to their credit, aren’t taking riffs straight out of Jus Oborn‘s playbook — as many do — but they find a midtempo fluidity that’s reminiscent of Dorset doom without lapsing into mimicry. Just after the midpoint, where Konkel lets out a noise that sounds like Matt Pike drinking nails, might be the noisiest stretch of the EP, but they bring it back to the central riff to finish out, because songwriting, and some riffs deserve to come around again to close.

You’ll find that like the two songs that precede it, “Ironbound” starts by establishing its riff. Once that’s done, the real fun starts. As always, I hope you enjoy:

Hot Ram, “Ironbound” video premiere

HOT RAM is an Atlanta based Stoner Metal band formed in 2016. It was during this time that Billy Konkel, HOT RAM founder, while working as a sound man in local Atlanta’s clubs, realized that he needed to be on the other side of the microphones and that he had a lot of music to write. Konkel enlisted Gordon White (Tetsu Nakasaka a local bassist/guitar player) to play drums. Gordon brought along Dee Flores on bass and together they recorded 2017’s E.P. “Leave A Beautiful Corpse”, 2018’s “Where Light Goes to Die”, and 2021’s “Electric Medicine”.

Billy Konkel and HOT RAM powered through all life’s obstacles and delivered 2026’s new E.P. “Near Fall”, (self-released on their home imprint Second Down Records) The album’s title was inspired by watching copious amounts of pro wrestling with his wrestling obsessed wife. “Near Fall” epitomizes and accurately describes the last few years that Konkel and HOT RAM were pinned to the mat for a 2 count (a “Near Fall”) and always getting back up to live another day….

“Near Fall” began recording in 2022, tracking drums at Leadbelly Studios and the rest of the album was recorded and mixed by Konkel at “Dark Overlord Studio” an over 100 year old warehouse/punk house.The opener “Vimana Swamp” is an about an ancient spaceship that crashed into a southern swamp and hidden in obscurity waiting for a return trip home. “Black Weed” Is about the smoking of the green: getting high and then Netflix and chilling with Lucifer himself from these self proclaimed “ High Priests of Dank Majik”. Lastly “Ironbound” lays up huge slabs of riffage —enough to tranquilize an elephant, lyrically forged with the hammer and brimstone of the Crusades.

HOT RAM’s “Near Fall” E.P. is for anyone that’s been on the ropes with little hope, but digs deep and finds the passion for dusting yourself off and not giving up!

February 2026 is the 10th anniversary of HOT RAM, and they look for it to be their brightest and loudest year yet. They start off the New Year opening for “High on Fire” in January, following it up with a couple of still un-announced festival dates this spring and summer to build some tour runs around what is expected to be a busy year.

Tracklisting:
1. Vimana Swamp
2. Black Weed
3. Ironbound

Near Fall Credits:
Billy Konkel Guitar/Vocals
Jerimy McNeil Bass (Black Weed/Ironbound)
Dan Giampietro Bass (Vimana Swamp)
Brian Ricks Drums

Drums recorded @ Leadbelly Studio-Matt Washburn
Guitars/Bass/Vocals/Mixed @ Dark Overlord Studio – Billy Konkel
Mastered @ Sound Artillery Studio – Jonathan Nunez (Torche)

HOT RAM 2026:
Billy Konkel Guitar/Vocals
Jerimy McNeil Bass
Dwayne Jones Drums

Hot Ram, Near Fall EP (2026)

Hot Ram website

Hot Ram Linktr.ee

Hot Ram on Bandcamp

Hot Ram on Instagram

Hot Ram on Facebook

Now with even more beard, Atlanta three-piece Hot Ram will do a solid weekender run around their return appearance at the Maryland Doom Fest, slated for Sunday, June 25. Between that and the several live shows booked for August and September in their home state of Georgia, the trio will look to record three follow-up to 2021’s Electric Medicine (review here), which will also be their first release with drummer Brian Ricks pounding away behind. Ricks has played with Order of the Owl, and the new album will reportedly be tracked by Matt Washburn, who produced Mastodon‘s Lifesblood once upon a time, so if you’re already thinking heavy, you might ahead and think heavier just to be safe.

Also note the date supporting UK troupe Dunes as that band make their initial incursion on US terrain to play Desertfest New York in September. By then it’s entirely likely that Hot Ram‘s next full-length will be finished, and if not released, then likely on the way. Cool things to come, in any case.

The band was kind enough to send the following down the PR wire:

HOT RAM – The Road to Doom

Atlanta’s HOT RAM announce “The Road To Doom” , an excellent weekend run to this year’s Maryland Doom Fest.

After playing last year’s Maryland Doom Fest for the first time, they are returning this year to play the mainstage this year at Cafe 611 on Sunday June 25th. For this year’s show they have an excellent set of show’s for a small run up the Carolina’s, on the way to Frederick. For this year’s “The Road To Doom” run, they start off at Greenville SC’s Ground Zero w/ Witchpit, Auralayer and Black River Rebels, and then shoot up to Fleetwoods in Asheville, NC to play with Mean Green (Bongfoot just dropped off this show) and The Beard Cult.

This run begins an exciting summer and fall for the Atlanta band. With the addition of new drummer Brian Ricks (Ape Vermin, Order of the Owl) in fall of 2022, the band has been super busy with a flurry of songwriting and playing show’s opening for Caustic Casanova, Thunderchief, Witchpit, Wyndrider and were scheduled to debut with Brian at the inaugural Snowblind Festival w/ High on Fire and C.O.C., but had to cancel due to the death of founding member Billy Konkel’s mother.

In July, they will start recording their next album, the follow up to The Swamp Records 2022 “Electric Medicine ”, with Matt Washburn (Mastodon) in the mountains of North Georgia, and follow that up with three august shows. One at the Flicker Theater in Athens’s GA for a Shadebest Records show, then play the second annual “In the Pit ” Festival in Atlanta, and then trek up to Gainesville GA, to play the new venue “The Black Strap ”. And for September 18th a show at Atlanta’s The EARL with Dunes and Red Beard Wall.

A full list of tour dates can be found below:

“The Road to Doom”
6/23 Greenville, SC @ Ground Zero
6/24 Asheville, NC @ Fleetwoods
6/25 Frederick, MD @ Cafe611 (Maryland Doomfest)
8/3 Athens, GA @ Flicker Theater
8/11 Atlanta, GA @ Inner Space “In the Pit 2”
8/19 Gainesville, GA @ The Black Strap
9/18 Atlanta, GA@ The EARL

HOT RAM:
Billy Konkel-Guitar/Vocals
Dan Giampietro-Bass
Brian Ricks-Drums

Poster: Jim Bob Cooter Jr.
Photo: Syd Howell

https://www.instagram.com/hot_ram_atlanta/
https://www.facebook.com/HotRamAtlanta/
https://hotram.bandcamp.com/

Hot Ram, “Conamara Chaos” official video

It’s a big ‘un. And if you’re like me, there are a couple names that stick out from the poster below, particularly Earthride and The Skull. Both are tribute sets, of course. The Skull frontman Eric Wagner passed away in 2021 after complications from a covid-19 infection and the loss of Earthride‘s Dave Sherman just a couple months ago continues to be keenly felt in and beyond the confines of the scene he called home. Karl Agell (ex-C.O.C.) will step in for The Skull, while Scott Angelacos of Hollow Leg is set to front a rotating cast of players for Earthride. You would be hard-pressed to find a more fitting occasion for honoring one’s own, except perhaps this gig in a couple weeks.

Plenty of familiar, returning acts as well as newcomers. Hippie Death Cult and will travel from the Pacific Northwest, Switchblade Jesus and Doomstress make an appearance (not the first for either) from Texas, and Red Mesa come straight out of the capital-‘desert’ Desert. Meanwhile, Faith in Jane, Black Lung, Bloodshot, Mangog, Mythosphere, Thonian Horde, Spiral Grave and plenty of others represent the Maryland home team, High Leaf and Thunderbird Divine trip down from Philly, Curse the Son (CT) and Guhts (NY) come from farther north, Hollow Leg make the trip out from Florida, and Lo-Pan, Doctor Smoke and Brimstone Coven head over from the Midwest. That’s just off the top of my head. I’m not sure there’s ever been a MDDF pulling so many bands from different parts of the country, though of course international bands have featured in the past as well.

There are always some shakeup between the first announcement and the final lineup, but so far so good here. Any way it works out, Maryland Doom Fest has nothing to prove at this point. Guaranteed banger.

Here’s the poster (oy) and the lineup, the latter in alphabetical order:

Maryland Doom Fest 2023

June 22-25 – Frederick, MD

We are proud to present to you The Maryland DooM Fest 2023 lineup roster and 2023 promotional art!!!!

We showcase over 50 kickass bands bringing you heavy riffs over these #4daysofdoom!!

The centerpiece art was created by Joshua Adam Hart (Earthride, Unorthodox, Revelation, Chowder, Stout, to name a few).

Josh is a career tattoo artist and is currently scheduling appointments at Triple Crown Towson Tattoo. Schedule to get ink from him at info@triplecrowntowson.com

The incredible flyer layout, coloring, and design is by our very talented Bill Kole (make sure to check out his band Ol’ Time Moonshine)!!

Above the Treachery, Akris, Black Lung, Bloodshot, Bonded by Darkness, Borracho, Brimstone Coven, Cobra Whip, Conclave, Crowhunter, Curse the Son, DeathCAVE, Doctor Smoke, Doomstress, Double Planet, Dust Prophet, Earthride, Faith in Jane, False Gods, Flummox, Fox 45, Future Projektor, Gallowglas, Grim Reefer, Guhts, Helgamite, High Leaf, Hippie Death Cult, Hog, Hollow Leg, Hot Ram, Las Cruces, Leather Lung, Lo-Pan, Mangog, Mythosphere, Orodruin, Red Mesa, Severed Satellites, Shadow Witch, Smoke the Light, Spiral Grave, Switchblade Jesus, The Skull, Thonian Horde, Thousand Vision Mist, Thunderbird Divine, Unity Reggae, VRSA, Weed Coughin, Wizzerd

https://www.facebook.com/MdDoomFest/
www.marylanddoomfest.com

Lo-Pan, “Ascension Day” live at Maryland Doom Fest 2019

Today, Feb. 4, Atlanta three-piece Hot Ram release a special vinyl edition of their 2021 album, Electric Medicine, through The Swamp Records. And for those unfamiliar, whatever you might be expecting of a group with a name like Hot Ram — which is to say, a grand thrusting of crotch — and its Led Zeppelin-meets-modern-stoner cover art, I’m glad to report that the record, which runs six songs and 39 minutes and was originally issued last May, works quickly to defy that anticipation. Founded by guitarist/vocalist Billy Konkel and here featuring bassist Dee Flores and drummer Gordon White, Hot Ram‘s third long-player unfolds with a sense of patience in “The Hunter,” teasing aggression to come while loosing a headphone-ready spaciousness and melody that sounds more akin to Spaceslug than not. “Conamara Chaos” (video premiering below) is riffier and rougher around the proverbial edges, with an element of metal at play that works to set up the later take on Judas Priest‘s “Riding on the Wind,” and one might say the same of the chug that begins “Trans Am.”

But while Hot Ram are in familiar territory there in theme and riff, the twist brought by the gruff vocals is darker and more atmospheric, and White‘s drums hint at the nastier tempo kick to come as the song approaches its midsection, returning to the verse as though just to touch ground before freaking out once and for all and ending what I’ll assume is side A ahead of the aforementioned “Riding on the Wind” starting side B, channel-spanning guitar solos for that twin-lead effect, and harnessing that particular, classic sense of the badass that so much belongs to Priest for Hot Ram‘s own purposes. “The Grave of Arch Stanton” — and here’s a fun bit of trivia; in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Arch Stanton was buried Feb. 3, 1862, which was 160 years ago yesterday — follows and fuzzes like Egypt in an echo chamber around its central progression, shorter on the whole but with a reach of its own ahead of the 10-minute finale “Binary Sunset.”

For an extra sense of completion to the full-length as a whole, “Binary Sunset” caps with a mirroring of the kind of somehow-still-earthy psychedelia Hot Ram brought to the outset of Electric Medicine, earning bonus points along the way for weaving guitar solos into and out of its “Planet Caravan”-esque main line, gradually moving into a build underscored only by more rumble rather than some sudden burst of drums. Gorgeously fluid, it finishes Electric Medicine in unpredictable fashion and underscores the notion that, for those of us late to the party on the album as a whole (hi, that’s me, I know you’re way cooler) its ability to run against what one thinks is coming is an asset put to fervent use. With a new lineup in place around Konkel that includes bassist Dan Gianpieto and drummer Lionel Obriot, whatever Hot Ram does next is bound to be somewhat different, but the ambient finish in “Binary Sunset” seems to end this collection on as open a note (figuratively speaking) as possible.

Well kept secret? From me up to this point, at least. I feel fortunate, though, to have the chance to dig into Electric Medicine and find it very much a third-album’s realization on the part of Hot Ram, who present an awareness of style without succumbing to the tenets of genre outright. Their individuality shines through in tone and intent alike. And they’ll be at Maryland Doom Fest, so, bonus.

I’m glad they hit me up to premiere a video. Which, hey, you’ll find right down there, followed by more from the PR wire.

Enjoy:

Hot Ram, “Conamara Chaos” video premiere

Limited Edition Vinyl out February 4th, 2022.
https://hotram.bandcamp.com/album/electric-medicine

“Conamara Chaos” the second single and video from Atlanta’s HOT RAM 2021 album “Electric Medicine.”

Video by Pendleton Studios ATL.

To celebrate a short press of vinyl for this coming bandcamp Friday… HOT RAM dive into psychedelic biker satanic worship territory with the heavy narcotic video “Conamara Chaos” the follow up to the barn banging “The Grave of Arch Stanton” off of the third release from these Deep south gents.

After getting out of the house post pandemic, Konkel lost both original band mates but found kindred riffers Lionel Obriot (Four Hour Fogger) on drums and Dan Gianpieto (Sporelord) on bass to get in some choice gigs with Heavy Temple, Caustic Casanova, Formula 400, Blackjack Mountain, Day Glo Mourning, Empty Black and Drifter.

With the addition of being added to this year’s Maryland Doomfest, HOT RAM is beginning to work on demoing new jams to hit your ears by June 2022.

Hot Ram on ‘Electric Medicine’:
Billy Konkel – Guitar/Vocals
Gordon White – Drums
Dee Flores – Bass

Hot Ram are:
Billy Konkel – Guitar/Vocals
Lionel Obriot – Drums
Dan Gianpieto – Bass

Hot Ram, Electric Medicine (2021)

Hot Ram on Instagram

Hot Ram on Facebook

Hot Ram on Bandcamp

The Swamp Records website

The Swamp Records on Bandcamp

As suspected, the lineup announcement for the 2022 Maryland Doom Fest is relatively short on fluff. No flowery descriptions of the acts involved, no hype about how important it is to get together in these times of plague and support the community, the underground, whatever it is. That’s all true enough, but as ever, Maryland Doom Fest is putting the name out there for you to see, and if you know, you know. If you’re a part of that family down there in Frederick, you’ve already got your calendar marked. This is who’ll be at the reunion.

And to that, with bands like Horehound, Thunderbird Divine, Caustic Casanova, fest-organizer JB Matson‘s own Bloodshot, Faith in Jane, ZED, Helgamite, Shadow Witch, The Age of Truth, Apostle of Solitude, Horseburner, Dead East Garden, Strange Highways and Foghound on the bill, this one will no doubt feel like a reunion in no small part. These acts and some of the others as well have shared MDDF bills in the past, and indeed, some were included in the announcement for January’s Doom Hawg Day as well, as was speculated. Still cool to see some of those returning coming across the country to do it, though, be it ZED or Formula 400.

Set for June 23-26 at Cafe 611 and Olde Mother Brewing in Frederick, MD, and of course subject to some changes between now and June, the lineup for Maryland Doom Fest 2022 is as follows:

Maryland Doom Fest 2022 Lineup

Black Road
Dust Prophet
Ol’ Time Moonshine
High Priestess
Wrath of Typhon
Alms
Black Lung
Thunderbird Divine
Atomic Motel
Byrgan
Faces of Bayon
Grief Collector
Crystal Spiders
Helgamite
Shadow Witch
The Age of Truth
Heavy Temple
Problem with Dragons
Strange Highways
Fellowcraft
Formula 400
Tines
Indus Valley Kings
The Stone Eye
Crow Hunter
Caustic Casanova
Coma Hole
Wizzerd
Mythosphere
Horehound
Bloodshot
NobleSoul
Coven
ZED
Faith in Jane
Future Projektor
Apostle of Solitude
Orodruin
Dead East Garden
Ritual Earth
Grave Next Door
Black Sabbitch
Lost Breed
Horseburner
Foghound
Hot Ram
Flummox

https://www.facebook.com/MdDoomFest/
www.marylanddoomfest.com

Apostle of Solitude, When the Darkness Goes (2021)

The Age of Truth, Resolute (2021)