Currently embroiled in a US run that kicked off last week in Boston, Parisian post-black metallers Alcest have announced they’ll head to Australia and New Zealand in April — spring here, fall there — as they continue to herald the return to a more aggressive style presented on their 2016 full-length, Kodama. Seems kind of strange to think of Alcest going back to their core sound as kind of a departure, but after the drifting ambient rock of 2014’s Shelter (review here), that’s kind of how it worked out. Cheers to them for being unpredictable even as they bask in the lush melodic melancholia that’s become their signature. Not every band could pull that one off.

Shows are presented by Life is Noise, and you can find the dates below, along with the remaining gigs on the North American stint happening now:

LIFE IS NOISE PRESENTS: ALCEST (FRA) AUSTRALIA / NEW ZEALAND TOUR APRIL 2017

LIFE IS NOISE is ecstatic to announce the return of Alcest to Australian soil this April, with the band also venturing to New Zealand for the first time.

The French post-black metal masterminds will be reaching into the hearts and heads of audiences in Wellington, Auckland, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth.

Alcest have always been a strangely entrancing beast. Originally serving as a solo project for Neige (Stephane Paut), the outfit evolved into a creative connection between the frontman and drummer Winterhalter (of legendary Peste Noire fame) over more than 16 years.

Transcending their early black metal ties through five very different releases, their latest effort—Kodama—sees the band meticulously reframe their origins through a kaleidoscope of rich, warm and soaring sounds that connect with the very soul of the listener.

Influenced by the gorgeous Hayao Miyasaki film, Princess Mononoke, Kodama – meaning ‘tree spirit’ or ‘echo’ in Japanese – delves into the concept of living between two worlds; of not belonging and striving to establish a sense of being through contrasting planes of existence.

Exploring the juxtaposition of nature and humanity and the perpetual struggle faced trying to achieve cohesion in a modern world, the album taps into the divide to serve as a reminder that the spiritual is often neglected in a time that embraces the physical.

Alcest live is a truly humbling experience. Their emotive power works its way through every inch of your psyche, as they effortlessly transition from darker, harsher tones to climbing, ethereal highs. This is a sonic adventure that will leave you breathless and yearning for more.

Catch Alcest on the following dates:
Wellington – San Fran – April 23
Auckland – Kings Arms – April 24
Brisbane – Crowbar – April 25
Sydney – Newtown Social – April 27
Melbourne – Max Watt’s – April 28
Perth –Badlands – April 29

Alcest US tour:
01/23/2017 Cleveland OH Grog Shop
01/24/2017 Grand Rapids MI Pyramid Scheme
01/25/2017 Chicago IL Reggies Rock Club
01/26/2017 St Paul MN Turf Club
01/28/2017 St Louis MO Ready Room
01/29/2017 Kansas City MO Riot Room
01/30/2017 Denver CO Marquis Theater
01/31/2017 Salt Lake City UT Metro Music Hall
02/02/2017 Seattle WA Highline
02/03/2017 Portland OR Dantes
02/04/2017 Vancouver BC Rickshaw Theater
02/06/2017 Oakland CA Oakland Opera House
02/07/2017 Los Angeles CA Roxy Theater
02/08/2017 San Diego CA Brick By Brick
02/09/2017 Mesa AZ Club Red
02/10/2017 Albuquerque NM Sister Bar
02/11/2017 Dallas TX Curtain Club
02/12/2017 Austin TX Grizzly Hall
02/14/2017 Nashville TN The End
02/15/2017 Atlanta GA Aisle 5
02/16/2017 Richmond VA Strange Matter
02/17/2017 Baltimore MD Metro Gallery
02/18/2017 Philadelphia PA Foundry
02/19/2017 New York NY Irving Plaza

Tickets from lifeisnoise.com, the venues and undertheradar.co.nz for NZ shows.

https://www.facebook.com/events/249725725466365/
https://www.alcest-music.com/
https://www.facebook.com/alcest.official
https://twitter.com/Alcestofficial
https://www.instagram.com/alcestofficial/
http://en.prophecy.de/alcest/

Alcest, Kodama (2016)

I wonder if the shipping on exports costs more when they’re this heavy. This fall, venerable concern Life is Noise will present the thunderdoom pairing of Italian cosmic doom progenitors Ufomammut and Swedish riff-crushers Monolord, which if the point hasn’t gotten across yet is a formidable pairing indeed, both acts preceded by their reputation for being heavy as hell.

For Monolord, this six-show run will follow an extensive US tour with Beastmaker and Sweat Lodge that will be their first time in North America as headliners, while Ufomammut have reportedly been working on new material presumably with an eye toward a 2017 release. That’s the hope, anyway. They’ve also been playing fests and other select dates in Europe.

Life is Noise sent the following down the PR wire:

LIFE IS NOISE PRESENTS: UFOMAMMUT (ITA) & MONOLORD (SWE) AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND TOUR

OCTOBER 2016

LIFE IS NOISE is proud to announce the first visit to our shores of Italian space doom virtuosos Ufomammut, along with masters of the riff, Swedish three-piece Monolord.

These two behemoths will be laying waste to cities across Australia and New Zealand this October in a truly huge doom double-header.

Playing an ear-destroying brand of sludge-filled doom that lurches from brooding slow menace to soul-crushing riff with a decent slab of psych thrown in for good measure, Ufomammut have released a stack of studio albums of unimpeachable heaviness, culminating in last year’s Ecate – truly a masterpiece of nuanced doom that perfectly encapsulates the band’s career to date.

Drawing on influences such as Sleep, Sabbath, Windhand, and Conan, Swedish trio Monolord take reverence to the riff to new extremes, with their second record, 2015’s Vænir, mixing glacial tempos with hypnotic and otherworldly vocals that coalesce into an album of both beauty and malevolence.

Catch Ufomammut and Monolord on the following dates:

Wellington – San Fran – October 3
Auckland – Kings Arms – October 4
Brisbane – Crowbar – October 6
Sydney – Bald Faced Stag – October 7
Melbourne – Max Watt’s – October 8
Perth – Rosemount Hotel – October 9

Tickets from lifeisnoise.com, Oztix, the venues and undertheradar.co.nz for NZ shows.

https://www.facebook.com/events/1170665092955732/
http://www.ufomammut.com/
https://www.facebook.com/UFOMAMMUT-83336386071/
https://twitter.com/ufomammutmafia
http://www.monolord.com/
https://www.facebook.com/monolordsweden/
https://monolord.bandcamp.com/

Ufomammut, Live at Saint Vitus Bar, May 19, 2015

Monolord, “Empress Rising” official video

German trio Kadavar head to Australia in April for a quick run of gigs put on by Life is Noise. The trio released their to-date masterpiece, Berlin (review here), last year on Nuclear Blast and with it bridged a difficult gap between their influences in classic heavy rock, the retro sound of their first two records, and a more modern style. This was accomplished via undeniable songwriting and groove enough to sway even the staunchest of nonbelievers willing to actually listen with an open mind. A penchant for hooks is nothing new for the Berlin-based outfit, but the mode of presentation was a marked shift and demonstration of road-won maturity.

If you can’t tell from that, I dug the record. So there. Good for them getting to Australia in 2016. It’s more than I’ve managed to do. Tour starts April 28.

From the PR wire:

LIFE IS NOISE PRESENTS: KADAVAR (GER) AUSTRALIA 2016

LIFE IS NOISE is proud to announce the Australian tour of hirsute German stoner-psych rock three-piece Kadavar, with shows in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.

Kadavar mix the groove of stoner rock with enough ‘70s psychedelia to create songs that are fierce and powerful, yet also undeniably catchy and compelling. Drawing on a healthy mix of influences including Sabbath, Zeppelin, Hawkwind and Pentagram, the trio have a back catalogue filled with thunderous riffs, shredding solos, crashing drums and pounding bass that has been perfected on their latest release, Berlin.

Following on from their first two studio records (their debut self-titled release, and Abra Kadavar), Berlin is a stunning, faultless, riff-fuelled album. Kadavar are masters of blending the super-tight rhythm of stoner rock with howling psychedelic chaos, spawning an all-out sonic assault. This sound is familiar without being derivative. And Berlin places Kadavar at the forefront of a modern stoner-psych renaissance – resplendent with hair to match.

Kadavar’s live show is somehow even louder, heavier and more action-packed than their recorded output. This will be a total rock and roll experience. Let your hair hang down.

Catch Kadavar on the following dates:
Brisbane – Crowbar – April 28
Sydney – Manning Bar – April 29
Melbourne – The Corner – April 30
And Kadavar are also appearing at Cherry Rock 2016 on May 1.

Tickets on sale now from lifeisnoise.com, Oztix and venue outlets. Cherry Rock 16 info from http://cherrybar.com.au/

https://www.facebook.com/KadavarOfficial
https://www.instagram.com/kadavargram/
https://twitter.com/KadavarOfficial
http://www.kadavar.com/
http://tickets.lifeisnoise.com/

Kadavar, “Last Living Dinosaur” official video

File this one under “Damn Those are Gonna be Some Good Shows” as Earthless and Elder pair up to tour Australia beginning Oct. 22. It’s a quick run, but an utterly badass pairing of bands, that, if I happened to be on the other side of the planet, I’d be sure to hit up. This will be Elder‘s first time down there — you might recall a couple years back they were all set to go with YOB (who will be there next month as well) but it didn’t pan out — while I’m pretty sure Earthless have made the trip before. Either way, there’s just nothing about those two getting together that doesn’t flat out rule.

News came down off the PR wire a couple minutes ago:

EARTHLESS (USA) & ELDER (USA) AUSTRALIAN TOUR OCTOBER 2015

LIFE IS NOISE is proud to announce the heavy-psych double-bill of the year, as Elder and Earthless tour Australia this October.

Earthless want you to know how it feels to touch the sky. With smoldering guitar riffs that stretch from here to infinity, the San Diego trio are at once cosmic and timeless, rooted in a profound respect for the Zeppelin/Sabbathian tradition yet with eyes firmly cast forward. Never mind the retro rock revivalists or the ’70s throwbacks – Earthless aren’t nostalgists; they’re sonic luminaries dragging psychadelia by the wah pedal into the 21st century and beyond.

Isaiah Mitchell is the kind of guitar prodigy that comes along only once in a generation. Underpinned by the military precision of Mario Rubalcaba’s drumming and Mike Eginton’s fundamental grooves, Mitchell’s chaotic fretwork is as unpredictable as it is ambitious.

Elder are a sleeper cell of colossal talent. Never has three-piece so seamlessly merged the atmosphere of doom with the depth of stoner rock and the vitality of psychedelic rock. Their latest album, Lore, is a quiet masterpiece – a blizzard of riffs that shine with melody, dynamism and songwriting sophistication well beyond the young band’s years.

Few bands have the gall to cover Jimi Hendrix, and even fewer can do it well, but Elder did just that in June when they released a rip-roaring cover of Voodoo Child (Slight Return) for the Hendrix tribute Electric Ladyland Redux. Nick DeSalvo’s guitar sounds on the brink of bursting into flames as he blazes through solo after solo.

Elder’s sonic mastery extends beyond the studio – the trio’s live documents and show-stealing sets at Roadburn and Psycho California are a testament to Elder’s limitless potential.

Elder and Earthless have never shared a stage before. There’s no telling what havoc these two riff lords will wreak. Don’t miss the psych trip of the year. Witness these two blow minds on the following dates:

Perth – The Rosemount Hotel – October 22,
Melbourne –The Corner – October 23, 2015
Sydney – Newtown Social – October 24, 2015
Brisbane – Crowbar – October 26, 2015

Tickets on sale now through lifeisnoise.com, Oztix and venue outlets.

https://www.facebook.com/earthlessrips
https://twitter.com/earthlessrips
https://www.facebook.com/elderofficial
https://beholdtheelder.bandcamp.com/

Earthless, “Violence of the Red Sea”

Elder, Lore (2015)

YOB undertaking the considerable voyage to Australia has been a while in the making. About two and a half years ago, there was word they were heading out that way with Elder and teaming, on arrival, with Beastwars, from New Zealand, for a round of shows. Seems fitting that they go, now, in support of their best album to date, last year’s Clearing the Path to Ascend (review here), and have that much more anticipation ahead of them. The Eugene, Oregon, trio will also be at Maryland Deathfest later this month, alongside their Neurot Recordings labelmates in Ufomammut and Neurosis, among the requisite ton of others.

The Australian tour is presented by Life is Noise, who sent the following announcement down the PR wire:

YOB (USA) Australian Tour August 2015

life is noise is proud to present the Australian debut of one of the finest doom metal bands in the world: Yob.

In 2014, Yob released the best doom metal album of the year. Universally praised, Clearing the Path to Ascend topped Rolling Stone’s list of the best metal albums and was critically lauded by everyone from Pitchfork to The New York Times. Never has doom metal been at the forefront of the public consciousness like this, and it’s easy to see why: though it’s come almost two decades into their existence, Yob have made not just the best album of their career – they’ve made what will come to be regarded as one of the defining records in the pantheon of doom metal.

Which is not to say any of this came easy. Few bands hit their creative stride after seven records and almost twenty years, and Yob’s recording career has led them to stints with Metal Blade and Profound Lore before settling at their current home with spiritual siblings Neurosis at their label Neurot Recordings. The Neurosis comparison is obvious, but for every moment of earth-shaking post-metal, there are flourishes of old-school, soul-crushing sorrow that hark back to Black Sabbath and Saint Vitus; for every Earth-like meditation, there’s a measured catharsis of energy that recalls the explosive sludge of Melvins.

What makes Clearing the Path to Ascend such a landmark record is its stellar two-track second half. While the album’s opening act bathes in layers of funereal dirge and existential dread, its penultimate and closing tracks mark one of the genre’s finest half-hours as the trio push through to the other side of hell. With every repetition, Mike Scheidt’s riffs grow all the more hypnotic, his pious incantations ever-more compelling. Yob have succeeded where many of their contemporaries fail, imbuing the oft-tired tropes of a monolithic genre with untold emotion and transcendent zeal. This is doom metal reborn.

Yob’s live show is everything you’d want from a power trio. From frenetic riffs and furious drumming to slow, crushing doom, a Yob gig is less a performance and more a communal brain-fuck. They hold their audience transfixed with brief moments of brooding, atmospheric, almost ambient respite, before pulverising them with a massive, brutal crush of noise.

Witness Yob on their first ever Australian tour on the following dates:

Perth – August 19 – Rosemount Hotel
Melbourne – August 21 – Max Watt’s
Sydney – August 22 – Manning Bar
Brisbane – August 23 – Crowbar

Tickets on sale now through http://lifeisnoise.com.au, Oztix and venue outlets.

https://www.facebook.com/events/1439941099649475/
https://www.facebook.com/quantumyob
http://www.yobislove.com/
http://www.neurotrecordings.com/
https://www.facebook.com/neurotrecordings
http://lifeisnoise.com.au

YOB, “Marrow” live at Saint Vitus Bar, Brooklyn, Dec. 12, 2014