Posted in Uncategorized on March 25th, 2025 by JJ Koczan
Mars Red Sky aren’t strangers to collaborating with other artists and even full bands. Their 2023 album, Dawn of the Dusk (review here), followed through on a collab with Queen of the Meadow that began on the aptly-named Mars Red Sky & Queen of the Meadow EP (review here), and of course they paired for an EP with Year of No Light (discussed here) way back in 2012, so joining forces isn’t unprecedented. Doing so with an outfit like long-running progressive heavy instrumentalists Monkey3, however, is.
Thus Monkeys on Mars. Think of the textures! Think of the keyboards communing with vocal melodies. Think of two bands who both know so well what they’re about bringing together ideas and seeing what sticks. Think of them doing it live.
I’ve heard none of this at this point, but yeah, sign me up for that EP out Oct. 17. Will hope to have more to come on this one before then. For now, this came from socials:
Hey there,
Stoked and proud to introduce you to special project MONKEYS ON MARS, a sonic journey with our long time friends monkey3 ! It fuses our two universes. This project will perform gigs and festivals thanks to Doomstar Bookings and 3C. We will also release a fully collaborative EP on October 17th 2025 via Mrs Red Sound with support from Napalm Records. We are working on the songs together, not each one their side. It’s an exciting stuff that we are dying to reveal!!
The best The Doom Dad wrote this to describe MONKEYS ON MARS:
“Imagine a uchony in which January 31st 1961 space mission didn’t quite go according to the plan. Ham, the chimpanzee, drifted through Space and found shelter on Mars – soon joined by other monkeys. The homonids colony thus created, developed its own civilisation, freeing itself from the very rules of gravity. The music created by Monkeys on Mars sounds like the soundtrack to this strange story.”
Photo credit Cedric Mathias.
MONKEY3 is: Walter – Drums Jalil – Bass Boris – Guitars dB – Keys and Sounds
MARS RED SKY are: Julien Pras : guitar, vocals Jimmy Kinast : bass, vocals Mathieu “Matgaz” Gazeau : drums, vocals
Posted in Whathaveyou on March 11th, 2025 by JJ Koczan
Perhaps some extra interest in seeing how the lineup for Desertfest Belgium 2025 takes shape over the next few months considering how heartwrenching the bill for 2024 was. They have not gone small to answer that question in this first reveal — you can see the names for yourself on the poster below — which covers a range of styles and has an according geographic reach. Note New Mexico’s Blue Heron taking part, supporting their rightfully-well-received 2024 LP, Everything Fades (review here), and note Lowrider because it’s notable anytime they play anywhere. Go them both, along with the rest, if you can.
As regards “the rest,” the names are their own best argument, I guess. Desertfest Belgium has become an integral part of the Fall underground touring circuit, a nexus point where various individual tours converge and split off again, so I’ll be interested to see, say, who The Obsessed will be out with, or how many times in your life you might be able to say you saw Colour Haze and Lowrider on a bill together in 2025. Just for examples.
So yeah, good start. Take their word for it in the “much more to be announced” part too. From socials:
FIRST NAMES! GRAVEYARD, BONGRIPPER, MASTERS OF REALITY & MORE!
Hi Desertfans,
Are you ready to rip it up? Here are the first names for Desertfest Antwerp 2025!
We’re very excited to welcome this divine & dangerous bunch to our stages:
Graveyard 🌑 BONGRIPPER 🌑 Masters Of Reality 🌑 Oranssi Pazuzu 🌑 The Obsessed 🌑 Bongzilla 🌑 monkey3 🌑 Lowrider 🌑 Colour Haze 🌑 Mars Red Sky 🌑 Psychlona 🌑 NEGATIVE BLAST 🌑 Alber Jupiter 🌑 Hedonist 🌑 Blue Heron
If you are as delighted as we are then head over to our ticket page below and grab a weekend pass for a guaranteed three days of sonic delirium 🪐
Posted in Whathaveyou on January 3rd, 2025 by JJ Koczan
There are some powerful performers here between the likes of Croatian progonauts Seven That Spells, the fury-prone heavy rock/metal wrought by Godsleep and the classic classy class class class (plus charm) of watching The Bevis Frond on stage, but both that and the aural variety are to be expected from Down the Hill, which with this announcement reveals the first of its 2025 lineup. Set to take place over two days in Belgium this August, the festival has yet to give any word on who’ll be headlining this year’s edition, but with Swiss psych-prog instrumentalist mainstays Monkey3 and the aforementioned The Bevis Frond at the top of the poster-thus-far, you couldn’t really call the initial reveal lacking. Good on Travo getting out, too.
Early-bird tickets — as opposed to the super-early-birds, which, yes, were a thing, and I believe are sold out — go on sale as of today. The Frédéric Genêt poster (with more names to come) and announcement text follow here, as per the ol’ social medias:
A New Year and the First Wave of Bands!
The wait is over! We’re thrilled to unveil the first 10 bands that will electrify our stages. From psychedelic legends to rising stars, this year’s lineup promises an unforgettable mix of powerful performances, mind-blowing riffs, and immersive soundscapes. Whether you’re here for the heavy grooves or dreamy melodies, there’s something for everyone. Let’s dive into the first wave of confirmed acts:
monkey3
Prepare to be mesmerized by the Swiss masters of instrumental psychedelia. Monkey3 delivers immersive, cosmic journeys that blend stoner rock with progressive elements. A guaranteed mind-expanding experience you don’t want to miss!
The Bevis Frond
With over three decades of psychedelic rock brilliance, The Bevis Frond remains a cult favorite. Nick Saloman’s timeless melodies and fiery guitar work will transport you to another dimension. A must-see for fans of classic psych-rock.
Hemelbestormer
Belgium’s own post-metal titans, Hemelbestormer, craft massive, cinematic soundscapes that are equal parts heavy and atmospheric. Their live shows are an intense, hypnotic experience. Prepare to be overwhelmed in the best way possible.
Seven That Spells
Croatia’s psychedelic warriors, Seven That Spells, are known for their explosive and experimental live performances. With a fusion of krautrock, prog, and heavy psych, they deliver music that defies boundaries. Expect chaos, energy, and pure sonic magic.
Godsleep
Hailing from Greece, Godsleep brings thunderous stoner rock grooves infused with bluesy riffs and soulful vocals. Their high-energy performance will have the crowd moving from the first note to the last. Get ready to rock out!
Apex Ten
This up-and-coming band is a force to be reckoned with in the alternative rock scene. Apex Ten combines intricate melodies and dynamic arrangements for a fresh, modern sound. Don’t sleep on this rising star!
Wheel of Smoke
A hidden gem from Belgium’s underground rock scene, Wheel Of Smoke delivers a unique blend of space rock and psychedelia. Their atmospheric jams and groovy rhythms will take you on a sonic journey. Let them light your fire!
Travo
Travo’s gritty, blues-infused rock ‘n’ roll is raw, intense, and utterly captivating. Their sound pays homage to classic rock while carving out its own rebellious identity. A perfect addition to this year’s lineup.
MOTOR!K
Dive into the hypnotic world of Motor!k, a Belgian band that channels the spirit of krautrock legends. Pulsating rhythms, repetitive grooves, and a touch of modern flair create an entrancing live experience. Perfect for fans of Neu! and Can.
Capitan
This promising new act is making waves with their fresh take on alternative rock. Capitan blends catchy hooks, introspective lyrics, and powerful instrumentation to create a sound that sticks. A band to watch as they rise to the top!
Stay tuned for more lineup announcements, and grab your tickets tomorrow at 5PM!
We’re thrilled to unveil our 2025 artwork, crafted by the incredibly talented Frédéric Genêt! 🎨✨ His unique style and impeccable attention to detail bring our vision to life in the most stunning way.
Posted in Whathaveyou on September 17th, 2024 by JJ Koczan
Though one is rarely mellow in this regard, it does feel especially self-flagellating to keep harping on how good the lineup for Høstsabbat 2024 is since, for the second year in a row, I can’t be at the fest owing to familial obligation. I know very well that in this day and age, “family first” is the accepted norm, and that it’s just one of those timing things, but that’s precious little comfort when it comes to missing out on seeing the likes of Monkey3, who are one of the pioneers of heavy psychedelic instrumentalism in Europe, for the first time, or Träd, Gräs och Stenar, who are psych-folk legends and probably a once-in-a-lifetime chance (at least for me) to catch.
This is the part where I usually say “alas” and move on with the post, but you’ll forgive me if I’m having an increasingly hard time kissing this up. Aside from enjoying the jaunt to Oslo every October and seeing friends and bands in the church — a special place that plays host to special performances, whether it’s on the altar or in the crypt/basement downstairs — it’s a stellar and broad-ranging edition of Høstsabbat that the team behind the fest has put together, and all the more impressive as they’re now splitting time, one assumes, with assembling a roster for next Spring’s Desertfest Oslo. I don’t go to more fests than I do go to, and so I’m well used to missing out — can’t see everything — but while I spent a goodly portion of this past summer ‘away’ and was at New York’s own Desertfest this past weekend, it’s hard to resist being greedy with a bill like this.
Alas.
Wherever you are in the world, if you’re going to this one, here’s another reason to look forward to it from the fest’s socials:
We are over the moon to be able to present to you the Swiss astronauts, the instrumental space drifters, the extraterrestrials: monkey3!
Hailing from the Olympic city of Lousanne, the sonic cosmonauts are looking to add an Olympic ring to their festival CV, after playing Hellfest, Desertfest, Freak Valley and Roadburn they are now gracing our Church of Riffs in October.
Their psychedelic/space/stonerrock is as captivating as the view of the Swiss alps, and accompanied by their otherworldly flair for visualizers and art, this concert is gonna be absolutely wild!
Each album gives you a new theme or backdrop, and each album guides you through space-time continuum, from slower “floating in space” parts, to the heaviest sun storms of riff-galore.
There is no sound in space, but Monkey3 perfectly captures what we all think it sounds like.
Buckle up and get ready to detach your mind from your earthly body, board our church-like spaceship, cause we’re going to the event horizon together in October!
Posted in Reviews on February 29th, 2024 by JJ Koczan
Day four of five puts the end of this Quarterly Review in sight, as will inevitably happen. We passed the halfway point yesterday and by the time today’s done it’s the home stretch. I hope you’ve had a good week. It’s been a lot — and in terms of the general work level of the day, today’s my busiest day; I’ve got Hungarian class later and homework to do for that, and two announcements to write in addition to this, one for today one for tomorrow, and I need to set up the back end of another announcement for Friday if I can. The good news is that my daughter seems to be over the explosive-vomit-time stomach bug that had her out of school on Monday. The better news is I’ve yet to get that.
But if I’m scatterbrained generally and sort of flailing, well, as I was recently told after I did a video interview and followed up with the artist to apologize for my terribleness at it, at least it’s honest. I am who I am, and I think that there are places where people go and things people do that sometimes I have a hard time with. Like leaving the house. And parenting. And interviewing bands, I guess. Needing to plow through 10 reviews today and tomorrow should be a good exercise in focusing energy, even if that isn’t necessarily getting the homework done faster. And yeah, it’s weird to be in your 40s and think about homework. Everything’s weird in your 40s.
Quarterly Review #31-40:
—
Monkey3, Welcome to the Machine
What are Monkey3 circa 2024 if not a name you can trust? The Swiss instrumental four-piece are now more than 20 years removed from their 2003 self-titled debut, and Welcome to the Machine — their seventh album and fourth release on Napalm Records (three studio, one live) — brings five new songs across 46 minutes of stately progressive heavy craft, with the lead cut “Ignition” working into an early gallop before cutting to ambience presumably as a manifestation of hitting escape velocity and leaving the planetary atmosphere, and trading from there between longer (10-plus-minute) and shorter (six- and seven-minute) pieces that are able to hit with a surprising impact when they so choose. Second track “Collision” comes to crush in a way that even 2019’s Sphere (review here) didn’t, and to go with its methodical groove, heavy post-rock airiness and layered-in acoustic guitar, “Kali Yuga” (10:01) is tethered by a thud of drums that feels no less the point of the thing than the mood-aura in the largesse that surrounds. Putting “Rackman” (7:13, with hints of voice or keyboard that sounds like it), which ends furiously, and notably cinematic closer “Collapse” (12:51) together on side B is a distinct immersion, and the latter places Monkey3 in a prog-metal context that defies stylistic expectation even as it lives up to the promise of the band’s oeuvre. Seven records and more than two decades on, and Monkey3 are still evolving. This is a special band, and in a Europe currently awash in heavy instrumentalism of varying degrees of psychedelia, it’s hard to think of Monkey3 as anything other than aesthetic pioneers.
With its Sabbath-born chug and bluesy initial groove opening to NWOBHM grandeur at the solo, the opening title-track is quick to reassure that Sweden’s The Quill are themselves on Wheel of Illusion, even if the corresponding classic metal elements there a standout from the more traditional rock of “Elephant Head” with its tambourine, or the doomier roll in “Sweet Mass Confusion,” also pointedly Sabbathian and thus well within the wheelhouse of guitarist Christian Carlsson, vocalist Magnus Ekwall, bassist Roger Nilsson and drummer Jolle Atlagic. While most of Wheel of Illusion is charged in its delivery, the still-upbeat “Rainmaker” feels like a shift in atmosphere after the leadoff and “We Burn,” and atmospherics come more into focus as the drums thud and the strings echo out in layers as “Hawks and Hounds” builds to its ending. While “The Last Thing” works keyboard into its all-go transition into nodding capper “Wild Mustang,” it’s the way the closer seems to encapsulate the album as a whole and the perspective brought to heavy rock’s founding tenets that make The Quill such reliable purveyors, and Wheel of Illusion comes across like special attention was given to the arrangements and the tightness of the songwriting. If you can’t appreciate kickass rock and roll, keep moving. Otherwise, whether it’s your first time hearing The Quill or you go back through all 10 of their albums, they make it a pleasure to get on board.
Equal parts brash and disillusioned, Nebula Drag‘s Dec. 2023 LP, Western Death, is a ripper whether you’re dug into side ‘Western’ or side ‘Death.’ The first half of the psych-leaning-but-more-about-chemistry-than-effects San Diego trio’s third album offers the kind of declarative statement one might hope, with particular scorch in the guitar of Corey Quintana, sway and ride in Stephen Varns‘ drums and Garrett Gallagher‘s Sabbathian penchant for working around the riffs. The choruses of “Sleazy Tapestry,” “Kneecap,” “Side by Side,” “Tell No One” and the closing title-track speak directly to the listener, with the last of them resolved, “Look inside/See the signs/Take what you can,” and “Side by Side” a call to group action, “We don’t care how it gets done/Helpless is the one,” but there’s storytelling here too as “Tell No One” turns the sold-your-soul-to-play-music trope and turns it on its head by (in the narrative, anyhow) keeping the secret. Pairing these ideas with Nebula Drag‘s raw-but-not-sloppy heavy grunge, able to grunge-crunch on “Tell No One” even as the vocals take on more melodic breadth, and willing to let it burn as “Western Death” departs its deceptively angular riffing to cap the 34-minute LP with the noisy finish it has by then well earned.
LLNN & Sugar Horse, The Horror bw Sleep Paralysis Demon
Brought together for a round of tour dates that took place earlier this month, Pelagic Records labelmates LLNN (from Copenhagen) and Sugar Horse (from Bristol, UK) each get one track on a 7″ side for a showcase. Both use it toward obliterating ends. LLNN, who are one of the heaviest bands I’ve ever seen live and I’m incredibly grateful for having seen them live, dig into neo-industrial churn on “The Horror,” with stabbing synth later in the procession that underscores the point and less reliance on tonal onslaught than the foreboding violence of the atmosphere they create. In response, Sugar Horse manage to hold back their screams and lurching full-bore bludgeonry for nearly the first minute of “Sleep Paralysis Demon” and even after digging into it dare a return to cleaner singing, admirable in their restraint and more effectively tense for it when they push into caustic sludge churn and extremity, space in the guitar keeping it firmly in the post-metal sphere even as they aim their intent at rawer flesh. All told, the platter is nine of probably and hopefully-for-your-sake the most brutal minutes you might experience today, and thus can only be said to accomplish what it set out to do as the end product sounds like two studios would’ve needed rebuilding afterward.
Fuzzter aren’t necessarily noisy in terms of playing noise rock on Pandemonium, but from the first cymbal crashes after the Oppenheimer sample at the start of “Extinción,” the Peruvian outfit engage an uptempo heavy psych thrust that, though directed, retains a chaotic aspect through the band’s willingness to be sound if not actually be reckless, to gang shout before the guitars drift off in “Thanatos,” to be unafraid of being eaten by their own swirl in “Caja de Pandora” or to chug with a thrashy intensity at the start of closer “Tercer Ojo,” doom out massive in the song’s middle, and float through jazzy minimalism at the finish. But even in that, there are flashes, bursts that emphasize the unpredictability of the songs, which is an asset throughout what’s listed as the Lima trio’s third EP but clocks in at 36 minutes with the instrumental “Purgatorio,” which starts off like it might be an interlude but grows more furious as its five minutes play out, tucked into its center. If it’s a short release, it is substantial. If it’s an album, it’s substantial despite a not unreasonable runtime. Ultimately, whatever they call it is secondary to the space-metal reach and the momentum fostered across its span, which just might carry you with it whether or not you thought you were ready to go.
The listed representation of dreams in “Dream One” adds to the concrete severity of Cold in Berlin‘s dark, keyboard-laced post-metallic sound, but London-based four-piece temper that impact with the post-punk ambience around the shove of the later “Found Out” on their The Body is the Wound 19-minute four-songer, and build on the goth-ish sway even as “Spotlight” fosters a heavier, more doomed mindset behind vocalist Maya, whose verses in “When Did You See Her Last” are complemented by dramatic lines of keyboard and who can’t help but soar even as the overarching direction is down, down, down into either the subconscious referenced in “Dream One” or some other abyss probably of the listener’s own making. Five years and one actual-plague after their fourth full-length, 2019’s Rituals of Surrender, bordering on 15 since the band got their start, they cast resonance in mood as well as impact (the latter bolstered by Wayne Adams‘ production), and are dynamic in style as well as volume, with each piece on The Body is the Wound working toward its own ends while the EP’s entirety flows with the strength of its performances. They’re in multiple worlds, and it works.
With the expansive songwriting of multi-instrumentalist/sometimes-vocalist Eric McQueen at its core, The Mountain King issue Apostasyn as possibly their 10th full-length in 10 years and harness a majestic, progressive doom metal that doesn’t skimp either on the doom or the metal, whether that takes the form of the Type O Negative-style keys in “The White Noise From God’s Radio” or the tremolo guitar in the apex of closer “Axolotl Messiah.” The title-track is a standout for more than just being 15 minutes long, with its death-doom crux and shifts between minimal and maximal volumes, and the opening “Dødo” just before fosters immersion after its maybe-banging-on-stuff-maybe-it’s-programmed intro, with a hard chug answered in melody by guest singer Julia Gusso, who joins McQueen and the returning Frank Grimbarth (also guitar) on vocals, while Robert Bished adds synth to McQueen‘s own. Through the personnel changes and in each piece’s individual procession, The Mountain King are patient, waiting in the dark for you to join them. They’ll probably just keep basking in all that misery until you get there, no worries. Oh, and I’ll note that the download version of Apostasyn comes with instrumental versions of the four tracks, in case you’d really like to lose yourself in ruminating.
The self-titled debut from Parisian doomers Witchorious is distinguished by its moments of sludgier aggression — the burly barks in “Monster” at the outset, and so on — but the chorus of “Catharsis” that rises from the march of the verse offers a more melodic vision, and the three-piece of guitarist/vocalist Antoine Auclair, bassist/vocalist Lucie Gaget and drummer Paul Gaget, continue to play to multiple sides of a modern metal and doom blend, while “The Witch” adds vastness and roll to its creeper-riff foundation. The guitar-piece “Amnesia” serves as an interlude ahead of “Watch Me Die” as Witchorious dig into the second half of the album, and as hard has that song comes to hit — plenty — the character of the band is correspondingly deepened by the breadth of “To the Grave,” which follows before the bonus track “Why” nod-dirges the album’s last hook. There’s clarity in the craft throughout, and Witchorious seem aware of themselves in stylistic terms if not necessarily writing to style, and noteworthy as it is for being their first record, I look forward to hearing how they refine and sharpen the methods laid out in these songs. The already-apparent command with which they direct the course here isn’t to be ignored.
Though their penchant for cult positioning and exploitation-horror imagery might lead expectations elsewhere, North Carolinian trio Skull Servant present a raw, sludge-rocking take on their second LP, Traditional Black Magicks II, with bassist Noah Terrell and guitarist Calvin Bauer reportedly swapping vocal duties per song across the five tracks while drummer Ryland Dreibelbis gives fluidity to the current of distortion threaded into “Absinthe Dreams,” which is instrumental on the album but newly released as a standalone single with vocals. I don’t know if the wrong version got uploaded or what — Bauer ends up credited with vocals that aren’t there — but fair enough. A meaner, punkier stonerism shows itself as “Poison the Unwell” hints at facets of post-hardcore and “Pergamos,” the two shortest pieces placed in front of the strutting “Lucifer’s Reefer” and between that cut and the Goatsnake-via-Sabbath riffing of “Satan’s Broomstick.” So it could be that Skull Servant, who released the six-song outing on Halloween 2023, are still sorting through where they want to be sound-wise, or it could be they don’t give a fuck about genre convention and are gonna do whatever they please going forward. I won’t predict and I’m not sure either answer is wrong.
Notice of arrival is served as Lord Velvet dig into classic vibes and modern heft on their late 2023 debut EP, Astral Lady, to such a degree that I actually just checked their social media to see if they’d been signed yet before I started writing about them. Could happen, and probably will if they want it to, considering the weight of low end and the flowing, it’s-a-vibe-man vibe, plus shred, in “Lament of Io” and the way they make that lumber boogie through (most of) “Snakebite Fever.” Appearing in succession, “Night Terrors” and “From the Deep” channel stoned Iommic revelry amid their dynamic-in-tempo doomed intent, and while “Black Beam of Gemini” rounds out with a shove, Lord Velvet retain the tonal presence on the other end of that quick, quiet break, ready to go when needed for the crescendo. They’re not reinventing stoner rock and probably shouldn’t be trying to on this first EP, but they feel like they’re engaging with some of the newer styles being proffered by Magnetic Eye or sometimes Ripple Music, and if they end up there or elsewhere before they get around to making a full-length, don’t be surprised. If they plan to tour, so much the better for everybody.
Posted in Whathaveyou on February 20th, 2024 by JJ Koczan
As they make ready to release their new album, Welcome to the Machine, this Friday through Napalm Records, Swiss instrumentalist prog-psych mainstays Monkey3 have revealed the tour that draws together previously-announced stops through festivals like Desertfest London, Desertfest Berlin, Esbjerg Fuzztival, Heavy Psych Sounds, an so on. Their paths will cross with the Brant Bjork Trio more than once as they go, and you’ll note that the entirety of the run is billed as ‘Pt. I’ of a larger touring plan. It would not be a surprise to find them out again later this year as well, perhaps on the Sound of Liberation circuit of Fall festivals? You never know.
There are two singles out from Welcome to the Machine, both of which stream below if you haven’t had the chance yet to engage, and the e’er crucial ticket link, should you be in a position to leave the house for a few hours at some point in the next couple months. And if not, no judgment. I don’t always have those hours either. The music’s still cool and there for you to check out.
Dig:
MONKEY3 – 🔥Tour Announcement🔥
Sound of Liberation Presents: MONKEY3 – WELCOME TO THE MACHINE TOUR – EUROPE 2024 Part 1 27.04 FR Savigny le Temple, L’Empreinte, Paris Grand Sludge 28.04 FR Colmar, Le Grillen 10.05 CH Seewen, Gaswerk 11.05 DE Fulda, Kulturkeller Kreuz 12.05 DE Köln Club Volta w/Brant Bjork Trio 13.05 DE Hamburg, Knust 14.05 DK Kopenhagen, Stengade 15.05 DE Bremerhaven, Shiva 16.05 BE Sint-Niklaas, De Casino w/Brant Bjork Trio 17.05 BE Brussels, Magasin 4 18.05 UK London, Desertfest 19.05 NL Den Bosch, Willem Twee 23.05 DE Jena, KuBa 24.05 DE Berlin, Desertfest 25.05 PL Krakow, Kamienna 10 27.05 AT Vienna, Viper Room 29.05 DE Dresden, Chemiefabrik 31.05 DK Esbjerg, Fuzztival 07.06 CH Winterthur, Heavy Psych Sounds Fest 08.06 CH Martigny, Heavy Psych Sounds Fest 28.06 DE Passau, Blackdoor Festival 09.08 BE Kortrijk, Alcatraz Festival 18.08 FR Motocultor, Carhaix
Posted in Whathaveyou on February 1st, 2024 by JJ Koczan
So I guess this is the last announcement for the lineup of Desertfest London 2024, and I’ll just say I kind of love the casual manner in which the festival set for May 17-19 tosses in another 30-plus names for the bill. Oh no big deal but here’s like two more fests we’re just gonna add while we give you the schedule. Badass. There’s a lot to dig here on all levels, from the headliners — that Friday at The Electric Ballroom, also Saturday and Sunday, looks pretty sweet — and while I’d set up camp at The Underworld on Saturday, no question I’d have to abscond from that home base to at least catch a bit of Saint Karloff, Acid King, and so on, and, well, on Sunday I’m actually kind of relieved I’m just pretending to have to pick one spot to be in, as each room has a distinctive pull. DVNE and Morag Tong or Borracho and Kadabra? Ufomammut and Monolord or Stinking Lizaveta, Darsombra and Orme? This shit is hard sometimes.
You could go on here in choose-your-adventure daydreaming, and frankly I’d encourage you to do just that. Worst that happens is you end up listening to good music. Or, you know, going to the fest, which would also be the best thing that could happen. Here’s why:
Desertfest London announces day splits and 32 additional artists
Friday 17th May – Sunday 19th May 2024 Weekend & Day Tickets now on sale
Desertfest London has revealed their day and stage splits for their 13th edition, taking place this May across multiple venues in Camden, London.
The festival proudly welcomes Masters of Reality as Friday’s Electric Ballrooms headliners, with Chris Goss at the helm providing a master-class in desert sounds. Plus, newly announced for this stage are Colour Haze and Frankie and The Witch Fingers who will join Brant Bjork Trio and Mondo Generator to kick off the weekend in true Desertfest style. Mantar and Raging Speedhorn will shake-up the Underworld, whilst Brume and Alber Jupiter psych-out at The Black Heart.
Saturday sees skate-punk legends Suicidal Tendencies back in London for the first time in seven years, as they decimate the equally legendary Roundhouse. Joined by Cancer Bats, Bongripper, Acid King and newest addition to the bill, Pest Control. Saturday’s Roundhouse stage is undeniably a melting pot of genres, but celebrating one common thread – insane live performances. Elsewhere, Maserati, Monkey3, Domkraft, Wet Cactus and many more will level Camden to the ground.
Back at the Ballroom on Sunday night, the festival enters its final day with a dose of experimental heaviness from Godflesh, Ozric Tentacles, Monolord, Ufomammut & Ashenspire. Additionally, Desertfest will be welcoming Bat Sabbath, the Black-Sabbath cover band formed by Cancer Bats to close out the entire weekend at our Underworld Stage after-party. Plus, DVNE, Nightstalker, Astroqueen, Stinking Lizaveta & The Grudge, with a hell of a lot more will be rounding off the weekend’s festivities.
Across the weekend, Desertfest has also newly announced the likes of Morag Tong, Borracho, Noisepicker, Gramma Vedetta, Lodestar, Kulk, Earth Tongue, Skypilot, Wolfshead, Weedsnake, Orsak:Oslo, WAXY, Horndal, Silverburn, Fires In The Distance, Sleemo, Midwich Cuckoos, Akersborg, Grand Atomic, Voidlurker, Under The Ashes and Fuz Caldrin.
Weekend & Day Tickets for the event are on sale now via www.desertfest.co.uk
Posted in Whathaveyou on December 19th, 2023 by JJ Koczan
Swiss heavy progressive instrumentalists Monkey3 have already been confirmed for Desertfest Berlin 2024 and its UK co-flagship Desertfest London 2024, which implies at least a week of touring, so it’s not the craziest thing in the universe that the band are announcing the release of Welcome to the Machine today and streaming the visualizer for the first single “Rackman” that you can find at the bottom of this post, but it’s welcome news either way.
Their last studio outing was 2019’s Sphere (review here), and 2023 marks two decades since their self-released self-titled debut. “Rackman,” as the first I’ve heard of Welcome to the Machine to come — out Feb. 21, on Napalm — is duly mature and progressive but also somewhat surprisingly heavy. There are moments in the first few minutes where if you put a growl on there you’d have death-doom, but that’s only one element of the atmospherics Monkey3 present. They’ve never been an outfit to do the same thing over and over, but if the other four songs on the record stand up to “Rackman” tonally, it could be the band’s heaviest work.
The PR wire explores themes and more in the info that follows:
Instrumental Psych Rock Masters MONKEY3 Announce New Album Welcome To The Machine
Music Video For First Single “Rackman” Premiering Now!
New Album, Welcome To The Machine, out February 23, 2024 via Napalm Records
Following Live at Freak Valley in 2017 and their latest, much-acclaimed album, Sphere (2019), instrumental psych rock frontrunners MONKEY3 will herald 2024 with a true album highlight of the new year: The Lausanne-based four-piece has announced a brand new, cosmic studio offering, entitled Welcome To The Machine, set for release on February 23, 2024 via Napalm Records!
Once again, MONKEY3 envelops listeners in their unique, cosmic auditory haze. Welcome To The Machine not only marks their seventh and most epic, dark and captivating record to date, but will also clearly prove why they are one of the most exciting instrumental rock bands in the modern stoner and psychedelic rock scene.
Today, MONKEY3 has premiered a music video for their first album single “Rackman”. “‘Welcome To The Machine’ is a reflection on the future of humanity through the duality of man and machine,” the band explains. About the new single, they comment: “Are human beings becoming machines or machines becoming human beings?”
Welcome To The Machine’s musical themes are inspired by movies such as 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Matrix, Sunshine, Solaris and 1984, while unveiling an intense mankind vs. machines story that instantly launches the listener into deep space. Right from its first tones, the album immediately emerges as a perfect soundtrack to a journey into the unknown. Tracks such as “Rackman” perfectly showcase how MONKEY3, who formed in 2001, are one of only a few instrumental bands that know how to tell an enthralling story. Welcome To The Machine explores as much as it poses questions. It is dark and menacing; evoking melancholic destruction while somehow bursting with hope at the same time, moving between haunting passages and progressive breaks, mesmerizing grooves and colossal riffs.
The album was recorded and mixed by Raphaël Bovey at Blend Studio and MyRoom Studio, and was mastered by Lad Agabekov at Caduceus Studios in Switzerland. The incredible cover artwork was created by Sebastian Jerke. Pre-Order Welcome To The Machine HERE:https://www.napalmrecordsamerica.com/monkey3
Welcome To The Machine track listing: 1. Ignition 2. Collision 3. Kali Yuga 4. Rackman 5. Collapse
Welcome To The Machine will be available in the following formats: – Digipak – 1 Vinyl Gatefold Black – 1 Vinyl Gatefold Clear Orange – 1-Vinyl Gatefold Crystal Clear Deluxe Version (incl. Slipmat & Art Print ) – Digital
MONKEY3 live: May 24 – 26, 2024 (DE) Desertfest Berlin + many more live dates to be announced soon!
MONKEY3 is: Walter – Drums Jalil – Bass Boris – Guitars dB – Keys and Sounds
