The lineup for next year’s Masters of the Riff V is out, as the event from the London Doom Collective is set to return Feb. 27-March 1, as you can see on the battlevest-poster below. That’s a cute idea. I haven’t seen it before.

I was at Freak Valley last week in Germany, and while there, ran into Jan and Sabine from Grin. I had about 30 seconds to talk, which is how it goes sometimes, but I made sure not to miss the chance at nerding out for their latest offering, Acid Gods (review here), in-person, which I try to not make embarrassing for myself. So anyway, as they’re here, obviously I’m going to say hell yes, go see Grin. I’ve been fortunate enough to do that as well in the past and it’s a stage you want to be in front of when they’re on it.

Of course, in light of Domkraft canceling what had been their soon-to-start West Coast US tour due to an unspecified health issue in the band, I’m glad to see them topping the thus-far bill for Masters of the Riff V, as their making plans for the future speaks well of a timeline to return. On the off-chance someone from the band sees this, I continue to wish them all the best. Not that, you know, the rest of the bands playing can screw off or anything like that, just that I’m happy to see the name here.

Got that Bear Bones tape, for example, and that’s a good time too.

From socials:

“Beginth thine riff already, won’t you,” said Tony, sipping from a freshly brewed ale. To his surprise, the riffith commenced almost immediately. Quite, thought Tony.

We’re exceptionally excited to announce the first wave of bands for next year’s Masters of the Riff Festival at @oslohackney

So have a butchers and behold this fine bunch of gorgeous legends from the underground scene, joining us for the fifth (damn) iteration of the festival!

Please feel free to raise one’s drink of choice accordingly. 🍻

PRAISE THE RIFF!!!

It means ever so much to us that the bands, breweries, amp wizards, fans, and all those in between trust us to curate this festival each year.

We’re honoured to be a small part of the great doom machine in the Sky, and we’re definitely looking forward to this epicus metallicus weekend (our livers, perhaps, less so).

There’s loads more incoming over the next few weeks and months, so keep your 👀 peeled.

Head over to @dicefm to grab your early bird tickets init!

Doom is love.

LDC xxx

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https://www.facebook.com/londondoomcollective/

Grin, Acid Gods (2025)

Domkraft, Sonic Moons (2023)

I actually decided to go back and search, and this post is the first time the phrase “riff tyrant” — or its pluralization, for that matter — has been used on this site. That might not seem like a big deal to you, but from where I sit, any time I hear “riff” in a phrase I’ve never encountered before it’s worth putting a star on the calendar, so kudos to London Doom Collective on the creativity as well as for importing Dopethrone from Canada to the UK to appear for an exclusive at Masters of the Riff III in March.

Although the Montreal scumsludgers dug into their back catalog to celebrate their 15th anniversary with the Deepest Hits tape on Northern Haze, we’re coming around on six years since their last album-proper, and they’ve accordingly threatened new stuff in the works. As to whether that will show up in 2024, 2025, or ever — now, soon, or infinity — I don’t know, but they join Elephant Tree and The Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell as headliners, and you can see the full lineup below. Gonna be a party. A messy party.

Sludging onward:

HAPPY NEW YEAR YOU RIFF TYRANTS!

We’ve been delving into the deepest and darkest corners of the underground, casting evil spells and summoning the nastiest tones in order to bring you our FINAL HEADLINER for the rapidly approaching MASTERS OF THE RIFF III 1st-3rd March 2024.

Therefore… …with absolute terror and delight we are pleased to announce that Québec’s filthiest, Dopethrone, will be heading over to London to eat your soul and rip ya face off at this year’s Masters Of The Riff festival!

We told you this one was going to be special! We are always striving to bring you the most sought after RIFFS, so this will be an LDC EXCLUSIVE and will be the band’s ONLY UK SHOW OF 2024!!!

If you aren’t there this never happened! So you seriously need to be there, as WE would love to see you, and YOU don’t want to miss this exclusive performance.

Seriously, this one is going to go off! Tickets won’t hang around long so make sure you grab them as soon as!

Weekend Passes available through

DICE: https://link.dice.fm/U8cb45f798a5

SKIDDLE: https://skiddle.com/e/36450206

Full Line up now announced…

Dopethrone, Elephant Tree, The Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell, Firebreather, Margarita Witch Cult, Dystopian Future Movies, Dead Witches, Grave Lines, Tuskar, Hundred Year Old Man, Trippy Wicked, Gurt, Dunes, Black Orchids, Wall, Helve, Novere, Godless Suns, Mountain Caller, Bodach and Orme.

Event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/256478197224605

Love you all dearly

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https://www.instagram.com/london_doom_collective/

Dopethrone, Transcanadian Anger (2018)

This is a good bill, and it just got better with these 11 acts added, but I’ll note I’m particularly glad to see Elephant Tree playing, never mind headlining, after the London-based melodic heavy rockers had to cancel their show plans for this Fall owing to frontman Jack Townley‘s ongoing medical complications from an accident earlier this year. Warms the heart and makes me hope they can keep momentum on their side; they’re about due for a new record and I get a little sad thinking it might be 2025 before one arrives, though certainly extenuating circumstances apply.

Gurt, always mad. Dunes, making a new record. Dead Witches, nasty. Margarita Witch Cult, put out a strong record this year, seem to be turning heads. Dystopian Future Movies, no, I’m still not over War of the Ether (review here) from late last year, and if the worst thing that happens is you see this list of bands and check any of them or any of the others below out — Hang the Bastard, Bodach, Black Orchids, Godless Suns — then that’s a win in my mind. A rigorous and often applied standard, that.

Info for the three-dayer follows here. I don’t know if you’ll be able to make it or not, but if you wanted a hard-immersion in the UK underground, well, here’s the poster:

Masters of the Riff festival is back for its third year, running from Friday 1st March to Sunday 3rd March.

Taking place at Oslo, Hackney, Masters of the Riff III is a celebration of some of the finest riff merchants from the Doom, Stoner and Sludge scene.

This year’s event is set to be even more exciting than ever as we welcome the magnificent ELEPHANT TREE as one of the three headline acts set to grace the Oslo stage. With a supporting cast featuring DEAD WITCHES, HANG THE BASTARD, GRAVE LINES, DYSTOPIAN FUTURE MOVIES, GURT, DUNES, MARGARITA WITCH CULT, BODACH, BLACK ORCHIDS and GODLESS SUNS, plus more to be announced across the weekend.

Event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/256478197224605

TICKETS from £55

Very limited EARLY BIRD tickets available from

SKIDDLE: https://skiddle.com/e/36450206

DICE: https://link.dice.fm/U8cb45f798a5

https://www.facebook.com/londondoomcollective/
https://www.instagram.com/london_doom_collective/

Elephant Tree, “Bird” official video