Fresh off the heels of releasing their Man is Myth – Early Demos collection on Napalm Records, UK rifflords Conan have announced a run of Japanese dates in March 2018. Support will come from UK compatriots Kurokuma and Tokyo’s Granule, and the tour is being presented under the banner of ‘Doomed Japan,’ which, if you can think of something better to call it, you’ll just have to let me know because from where I sit that about sums it up. Conan do not often go to a place and leave it unflattened, and as they look to hit Nagoya, Osaka, and Tokyo, they’ll also be perhaps on the heels of a new album release expected sometime early next year, so all the more reason to watch out.

The PR wire brings copious info about that and more background on the tour in general:

Doomed Japan – Conan, Kurokuma & Granule Japan Tour 2018

UK attack extends to Japan as caveman battle doom trio, Conan announce three shows in the Land of the Rising Sun in March 2018. They will be supported by psychedelic sludge crew, Kurokuma and Tokyo blackened sludge project, Granule.

March 29th (Thu) – Club Zion, Nagoya http://www.clubzion.gionsound.jp/
March 30th (Fri) – Hokage, Osaka http://musicbarhokage.net/
March 31st (Sat) – Earthdom, Tokyo http://www1.odn.ne.jp/~cfs81480/index.html/menu.html

Ticket links can be found via Granule’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/granule.tyo/

Conan (UK) are as heavy as interplanetary thunder amplified through the roaring black hole anus of Azathoth. Remember that sentence, for it is writ large in virgin blood on the walls of the forgotten temple of Bol-Krastor, deep in the steaming forests of forgotten Lemuria. Conan, a monumentally brutal three piece (in the grand tradition of all the hallowed three pieces through time) hold a sinew-tight line and an iron-grip command over the uber-synchronised powerchord changes and tempo-shifts of the anti-holy trio of bass, drums and guitar.

Two weary yet defiant men have the task of vocalising wretched thoughts over the turgid weight of Conan’s metalized bombast. They bear it well, for the task is immense. Hear the roar of battle. Smell the stench of spilt blood. A thousand heads piled high like a grim mound of suffering – a blasphemy to nature. Hail Conan!

Forming in 2006, Conan released their earth-flatteningly heavy debut, Horseback Battle Hammer in 2010. Having revitalised the UK’s slow/heavy scene, they are now signed to Napalm Records and currently recording their fourth album set for release in 2018. They released the Man Is Myth demos earlier this year.

Masters of shamanic, hypnotic sludge, Kurokuma (UK) is Jacob Mazlum (guitar/vocals), George Ionita (bass/vocals) and Joe Allen (drums).

After spending a year in the cold reaches of northern Japan and inspired by his time playing the taiko drum, Joe returned to the UK to start a shadowy three-piece that combined the unassailable power of doom with exotic percussion and an enchanting energy. Taking their name from Kurokuma Falls in Aomori, Kurokuma was born.

Kurokuma’s 2014 demo and the 2016 EP, Advorsus (Medusa Crush Recordins) along with savage live performances have been enough to see them establish a reputation as one of metal’s most potent new forces. In 2018 they will release their Dope Rider concept EP, as well as playing Brutal Assault festival in Czech Republic.

Featuring former members of legendary Tokyo band, BOMBORI, Granule formed in 2017. The five piece soon released AURORA on cassette (w/ zine), this being a rapid crystallisation of the band’s cutting, oppressive sludge sound. More recently they released DEMO #2, an all-out, raw, auditory assault representative of the band’s live show. Granule head up the booking/organisation of the Doomed Japan tour.

https://doomedjapan2018.tumblr.com/

https://www.facebook.com/conancavemanbattledoom/
https://conan-conan.bandcamp.com/
https://twitter.com/hailconan

https://www.facebook.com/kurokumauk
https://kurokumauk.bandcamp.com
https://twitter.com/kurokumauk

https://facebook.com/granule.tyo
https://granule.bandcamp.com/album/aurora
https://twitter.com/granule_tyo

Conan, “Gravity Chasm” from Man is Myth – Early Demos

Mexican riffbringers Vinnum Sabbathi have been on the road in Europe since last month supporting their debut long-player, Gravity Works (review here), which was released earlier this year. The run, which wrapped up its continental portion on July 1, will pick up again this coming Friday at the warm-up party for the Bristol Psych Fest, and from there, Vinnum Sabbathi hit the road alongside Kurokuma — who’ve newly issued a Kraftwerk cover as a name-your-price download — for a stretch of dates across the UK that includes another free all-dayer in Kurokuma‘s native Sheffield and gigs in Coventry, Bath, Hull, Liverpool, Edinburgh, and so on.

It’s a solid stint to continue Vinnum Sabbathi‘s push for their awaited first full-length, and they’ll cap their time abroad on Aug. 12 with an appearance at SonicBlast Moledo in Portugal, which, frankly, is an awesome way to go out.

Dates, links and music follow here. Dig it:

Vinnum Sabbathi / Kurokuma UK dates

ALL THE INFO ABOUT OUR UK TOUR IN JULY WITH:
Kurokuma / Cegvera / SODEN
July 07 Bristol Bristol Psych Fest WARM UP PARTY (Free Entry)
July 13 Edinburgh Vinnum Sabbathi / Kurokuma / Lucifers Corpus – Bannermans Bar
July 14 Hull HNC#50 Vinnum Sabbathi (Mexico) / Kurokuma / Battalions / Still
July 15 Dewsbury Vinnum Sabbathi/Kurokuma/Sick Tapestry/Gandalf The Green at The Old Turk
July 16 Liverpool KUROKUMA // VINNUM SABBATHI // PHULLOPIUM DUDE // MR TED
July 20 Coventry Vinnum Sabbathi / Kurokuma / Cegvera + MK1 Soundsystem
July 21 London Vinnum Sabbathi, Kurokuma, Cegvera, Doomicidal
July 22 Bath Vinnum Sabbathi, Kurokuma, Cegvera, Doomicidal
July 23 Sheffield Doomlines III – free doom/sludge/stoner all-dayer
July 28 Manchester Vinnum Sabbathi (Mexico) + special guests
July 29 Scunthorpe Vinnum Sabbathi (Mexico) + Guests

Vinnum Sabbathi:
Aug. 12 SonicBlast Moledo, Portugal

Vinnum Sabbathi is a space doom band from Mexico City founded in 2011 and formed by Alberto (guitar), Gerardo (drums), Samuel (bass) and Roman (live samples).

With influences like Ufomammut, YOB, Electric Wizard and 35007, the band mixes heavy riffs with scientific themes to bring loud and distorted sonic textures and energetic live performances; playing in venues all around Mexico with the Fume On Tour (2014), the Fuzzonaut Tour (2015) and the TerroNaut Tour (2016) along with bands like Terror Cosmico, Weedsnake and El Ahorcado.

Vinnum Sabbathi have just released Gravity Works to widespread acclaim.
https://vinnumsabbathi.bandcamp.com/album/gravity-works

Kurokuma have just released their cover of Kraftwerk’s “Radioactivity”.
https://kurokumauk.bandcamp.com/track/radioactivity-kraftwerk-cover

www.facebook.com/VinnumSabbathi/
https://vinnumsabbathi.bandcamp.com/
http://aimdownsightrecords.com/
https://lsdr.bandcamp.com/

www.facebook.com/kurokumauk
kurokumauk.bandcamp.com

Vinnum Sabbathi, Gravity Works (2017)

Kurokuma, “Radioactivity”

Next month, as the world turns its attention toward the coming onslaught of spring and summer festival season, UK sludgers Kurokuma and DVNE will head out together on a short round of dates to herald new releases. In the case of Kurokuma, it’s a single, a cover of Kraftwerk‘s “Radioactivity,” which I won’t even pretend to be familiar with, and for DVNE, it’s an impending full-length to follow-up on their 2014 two-songer, Aurora Majesty, and the preceding 2013 EP, Progenitor (review here). Bands, obviously, have toured for less reasonable causes.

As a side note, Kurokuma‘s Joe Allen was recently announced as having a new drone project with Jon Davis from Conan called DOS. Info is sparse as yet, but there’s a Thee Facebooks and that’s a place to start. Kurokuma also have a few killer live dates before the tour that you can see in the update below.

Dig it:

Kurokuma and DVNE, two imposing figures in UK sludge join forces for five dates in April this year. The trail starts off with two dates in Scotland before rolling down to England for three shows there.

DVNE will be playing tracks from their upcoming album, Asheran, which will see the light of day this summer – the band’s first release since 2014’s Aurora Majesty.

Kurokuma’s next output is set to be a prodigious cover of Kraftwerk’s “Radioactivity” along with fitting visuals. Kurokuma will also feature heavily in the upcoming documentary on UK doom, The Doom Doc (www.facebook.com/thedoomdoc).

Kurokuma & DVNE UK tour:
Friday 14th April – Musical Vision, Aberdeen (w/ Death Watch)
https://www.facebook.com/events/773008732850857/
Saturday 15th April – Bannerman’s, Edinburgh (w/ Seas, Starry and Somaesthesia)
https://www.facebook.com/events/1427787527292620/
Friday 21st April – Pi Bar, Leicester (w/ Temple of Lies)
https://www.facebook.com/events/1852908281589863/
Saturday 22nd April – Doom Over Dewsbury all-dayer at The Old Turk, Dewsbury (w/ Foetal Juice, Battalions and more)
https://www.facebook.com/events/1314224735336355/
Sunday 23rd April – Stag and Hounds, Bristol (w/ Lacertilia and CTBKM)
https://www.facebook.com/events/651351828358443/

Kurokuma live dates:
Saturday 4th March – Star & Garter, Manchester supporting Slomatics
Friday 17th March – Plug, Sheffield supporting Crowbar
Friday 31st March – Chameleon Arts Cafe, Nottingham supporting Alunah
Saturday 8th April – Ritual Festival, Leeds w/ Ihsahn, Anaal Nathrakh, Bossk, Serpent Venom and more

www.facebook.com/kurokumauk
kurokumauk.bandcamp.com

www.facebook.com/dvneuk
songs-of-arrakis.bandcamp.com

Kurokuma, Advorsus (2016)

DVNE, Aurora Majesty (2014)

Imagine crushing sludge roving across the English countryside. Granted, it’s probably less like that and more like dudes in a van, but either way, Sheffield’s Kurokuma and Stockport’s Under have paired up to tour across Britain this week and they’ll cover a good swath of that good land. Kurokuma go supporting their EP, Advorsus, which was released last month on tape via Medusa Crush Recordings and brings about three new tracks of pummel both spacious and significant. You can check it out for yourself in full on the player below, because, you know, I posted it there and whatnot.

As one might expect, they’ve got a suitably apocalyptic backstory, which is also fun. I’ve put a bit of that under the dates below as well, which came off the PR wire. Dig:

Kurokuma / Under UK Tour

Having racked up quite the CV of support slots in their hometown of Sheffield (Conan, Primitive Man, KEN mode, Skeletonwitch) psychedelic sludgers, Kurokuma decided it was time to head out on the road themselves. Bringing along Stockport’s Under, a match for them in the realms of strange, heavy music, it’d be certainly worth your time catching two of the most unique bands in UK underground metal right now.

Wed 12th Oct – Drop the Dumbulls, Liverpool
(w/ Springbok + Leavers)
Thu 13th Oct – Subside, Birmingham
(w/ Sealclubber)
Fri 14th Oct – The Bridge Inn, Rotherham
(w/ Spaztik Munkey)
Sat 15th Oct – NOIZ Weekender, Manchester
(w/ Telepathy, 1968 + more)
Sun 16th Oct – Liquor, Lincoln
(w/ WRECK + Temple Steps)
Tue 18th Oct – Corporation, Sheffield
(Just Kurokuma w/ Trap Them, OKKULTOKRATI + Venom Prison)

Not all that sleeps is silent; from the dark awakened a visceral being that fed from the smoldering flames and dim glow of the sun.

Strip away the dirty robes and poor illusions, find yourself hideously revealed. Know you are an animal, your heartbeat a steady drum pulsing for atavistic pleasures. Cast your eye upwards from the fire, bear your teeth.

Dance with us as this world crumbles into a mist of ashes.

facebook.com/kurokumauk
https://twitter.com/KurokumaUK
http://medusacrushrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/advorsus
facebook.com/understockport

Kurokuma, Advorsus (2016)