Posted in Whathaveyou on February 25th, 2025 by JJ Koczan
Dayum. SonicBlast Fest came out hard with its first lineup announcement and things have only gotten more heartstirring since then. In a new round of 13 lineup adds, they bring King Woman, Messa, Monolord, King Buffalo, The Atomic Bitchwax, Daily Thompson, Vinnum Sabbathi, Castle Rat, Tō Yō, Witchthroat Serpent and more to the bill, and when you look at the rest of the poster and see Fu Manchu, My Sleeping Karma, Earthless, Slomosa, Gnoma, Daevar, Amenra, Emma Ruth Rundle and so on, yeah, fair to call it compelling, not that “weekend on the beach in Portugal” should be a hard sell on its own either.
And while you’re looking at the poster below, surely you’ll also note the part where it says there’s more to come. I don’t know that that’ll be another full round of 13 bands, but honestly, SonicBlast is always packed, so anything’s possible. I was there in 2023 and it was awesome. Great place, nice people, and I learned how to order espresso in Portuguese, which was a bonus. If you can get there, you should take a look, is all I’m saying. I even left the emojis intact.
The following comes from socials:
13 is the magic number 🔥🔥
We’re so thrilled to confirm 13 new bands for the great reunion of weight and psychedia that will once again – for the 13th time! – take place in August, on the already mythical Duna dos Caldeirões beach ⚡️🔥
King Woman, Monolord, Chalk, Ditz, King Buffalo, Messa, Castle Rat, Dead Ghosts, The Atomic Bitchwax, Witchthroat Serpent, Vinnum Sabbathi, Tō Yō, Daily Thompson will join us at our wild party ⚡️
King Woman Monolord Chalk Ditz King Buffalo Messa Castle Rat Dead Ghosts The Atomic Bitchwax Witchthroat Serpent Vinnum Sabbathi Tō Yō Daily Thompson
Tickets are already available at BOL and Masqueticket (links in bio)
If you’re in Portugal you can also buy your ticket at Fnac, Worten and Ctt stores
Posted in Bootleg Theater on February 18th, 2025 by JJ Koczan
The second solo album from Mika Häkki, Mørker, is on the way via Majestic Mountain Records. Best known to heavyheads as the bassist of Monolord — perhaps you’ve even stood in front of a stage and been flattened by his tone and/or the utter delight he takes in the delivery thereof? — Häkki released his solo debut, Vemod, in 2022, touching on aspects of classic country and singer-songwriterism alongside post-everything atmospheres and nascent arrangement flourish. Mørker, with a more confident range in terms of style and an apparent firmer grasp on what it wants each of its seven included tracks to be doing, positions Häkki as something of an auteur at the center of its material. He’s the presence that draws together songs like the dreamy beachy post-prog pop of “When You’re Old” — guitar like goth surf — and the cool-like-earliest-Stooges-and-no-less-dripping-with-attitude-or-tripped-out prior single “Couch Anthem.”
Each piece, from opener “Take This Light Away,” for which an atmospheric-type video is premiering below, to the seven-minute strum-and-sing-along finisher “Weighted Daze” that closes with shades of later-cocaine Neil Young and Nick Cave‘s Grinderman alike, has something to offer to stand it out from among those surrounding. “Take This Light Away” takes an almost Opethian angle on folkish ’60s psych-pop, where the synth of “When You’re Old” gives more of a ’70s prog vibe early, like Floyd keeping the conversation light and just talking about personal decay and “Time Stood Still” shifts to an electronic beat and airier guitar tone to suit the wistfulness of the vocals. As noted, “Couch Anthem” very much is a centerpiece — one can’t help but be reminded of the early 2021 Monolord single “I’m Staying Home” (discussed here) — and the solidification of a persona for Häkki as a songwriter as much as for the malleable nature of his actual craft. Vemod was not without this sense of reach, but Mørker makes it clear Häkki learned from his first solo outing and, with this follow-up, he affirms a creative progression underway distinct from that of his full-time band or the respective solo-projects of Monolord‘s other members, Thomas V. Jäger and Esben Willems.
And yes, persona and quirk are for sure an aspect of what Mørker has to offer the listener — neither is a thing to complain about — but later in the album, Häkki reaches deeper into singer-songwriterism, with “Makes No Sense” finding a strident mood in declarative acoustic guitar and “Another Reason to Stay” reminding of some of late-’70s John Lennon‘s full-scope arrangements, filled out with keys as it is that border on the choral. These are the two shortest pieces on the record, both right on either side of three and a half minutes, but they emphasize just how much Häkki is able to get out of that time in terms of atmosphere and creating a memorable impression on the listener. Yeah, it’s cool when “Weighted Daze” takes off and all that, but that’s ultimately just one of the places Häkki steers Mørker and the real highlight is getting there. Multifaceted in its composition and performance, Mørker is a strong answer to Häkki‘s first record, sure, and it builds on the accomplishments there, but more, it lays out a forward path for continued realization without feeling like a blueprint for settling into a sound so much as a guidepost for the listeners who’ll follow Häkki on this longer-term journey.
Enjoy the video “Take This Light Away” below. More info follows from the PR wire:
Mika Häkki, “Take This Light Away” video premiere
Mika Häkki on “Take This Light Away”:
An imagined world where the sun doesn’t rise again. Where even the slightest source of light is devoured by dark.
This was a fun song to both write and record. Klas-Henrik Hörngren plays the Harpsichord on the song which really gives it a cool vibe on the verses.
”Mørker” was recorded at LÜXFÄLLAN Studios, produced by Kristoffer Ragnstam. All songs written by Mika Häkki, but guests on a few songs were Klas-Henrik Hörngren on keys, Krister Selander on bass and Kristoffer Ragnstam on drums and backing vocals. I’ve really found a great way to work in the studio with Kristoffer Ragnstam that is both creative and fun. Bouncing ideas and trying out different solutions on the go.
Posted in Whathaveyou on February 12th, 2025 by JJ Koczan
There are a few acts down toward the bottom here that I’ve never heard before, and I like that a lot. Always up for a challenging round of googling, I looked up Monica and found who I’m assuming are the right band, from Belgrade, Serbia. The release I put below came out last Fall — it’s a three-songer and is raw as nails until it spaces way out before you realize it. Cool vibe. How on earth I might go about finding D. is a mystery, but this isn’t my first day on the internet so I’ll get there.
More to the point, Bear Stone Festival looks so god damned good. A Place to Bury Strangers are gonna wreck up the place, to be sure, and whatever’s left will be Monolord‘s to flatten. I am very, very much hoping to be in the crowd for this one — remember hat, remember water, remember… the alamo — and if you see me by that riverside, please be sure to say hey. I gotta get that flight confirmed. Too much daydreaming, but can you blame me?
From the PR wire:
Bear Stone Festival 2025: Second Lineup Announcement
The long awaited second lineup announcement for Bear Stone Festival 2025 is finally here!
Below you will find brand new 16 bands which brings the total number of bands that have been announced so far to 33. We still have 8 more surprises for you that we’ll announce as we get closer to the festival.
A Place To Bury Strangers, led by Oliver Ackermann, has been pushing sonic boundaries for nearly two decades, fusing Post-Punk, Noise-Rock, Shoegaze, and Psychedelia into an electrifying and unpredictable experience.
With a refreshed lineup featuring John and Sandra Fedowitz and their own label, Dedstrange, the band continues to evolve, delivering their most dynamic and melodically daring work yet. With their latest album, “Synthesizer” (2024), the band continues to explore different fusions on a wide array of genres confirming once again their legendary status in the underground scene.
MONOLORD
Swedish trio Monolord have carved out a dominant place in the Doom Metal scene with their crushingly heavy riffs, hypnotic grooves, and haunting melodies. Since their 2014 debut “Empress Rising”, they have continued to push the boundaries of modern doom, blending psychedelic textures with bone-rattling low-end.
With a reputation for thunderous live performances and critically acclaimed releases like “No Comfort” (2019) and “Your Time to Shine” (2021), Monolord remains a powerhouse of immersive, slow-burning heaviness.
BRANT BJORK TRIO
Brant Bjork Trio is the latest project led by the legendary Brant Bjork, a pioneer of Desert Rock and a founding member of Kyuss and Fu Manchu. Joined by musicians Mario Lalli and Mike Amster, the trio delivers a raw, groove-heavy blend of Stoner Rock, Funk, and Psychedelic sounds. Known for their dynamic live performances and Brant’s signature laid-back vibe, the trio continues to push the boundaries of the Desert Rock genre.
MAIDAVALE
Swedish Psych Rock band MaidaVale captivates audiences for over a decade with their spirited energy and eclectic blend of Neo-Psychedelia, Krautrock, and influences from Post-Punk, Funkadelia, and North African Blues. Their acclaimed debut album “Tales of the Wicked West” (2016) established them on major European rock stages, while their sophomore release “Madness is Too Pure” (2018) solidified their place in the Psych Rock scene with its bold, experimental sound. MaidaVale continues to push boundaries with their latest album “Sun Dog” earning recognition as one of Europe’s most innovative Psych Rock acts.
CIŚNIENIE
Founded in 2017, Ciśnienie (Polish for “pressure”) combines Post-Rock, orchestral music, and Jazz to create intense, mind-bending musical climaxes. Drawing inspiration from Swans, Fire! Orchestra, Mogwai, Arvo Pärt, and H.M. Górecki, their sound blends baritone sax, violin, and piano with distorted bass and frantic drumming, producing dynamic soundscapes ranging from Ambient Psychedelia to rhythm-driven walls of sound. Having performed over 100 concerts across Europe, the band released their latest live-recorded album, “Zwierzakom” in late 2023.
WEDGE
Wedge, a Berlin-based trio, has been a driving force in the European underground Rock scene since 2014, blending Classic Rock, Kraut Rock, 60’s Garage, and Heavy Psychedelia into their high-energy “Fuzz ‘N’ Roll” sound. Known for their dynamic live performances, they’ve played over 350 shows across Europe, gaining a solid reputation and critical acclaim for albums like “Killing Tongue” (2018) and “Like No Tomorrow” (2021).
ACID ROW
Acid Row is a Prague-based Stoner Rock trio known for fusing Punk energy with elements of Doom Metal, Psychedelic Rock, Noise Rock, and ’90s Grunge. Since their formation in 2012, they have undergone several lineup changes but have stayed true to their rebellious spirit. Inspired by the haunting Blues roots of legends like Robert Johnson, Acid Row carries the torch of Rock and Heavy Metal legacies with raw intensity.
EARTH TONGUE
Earth Tongue is a New Zealand-based duo consisting of guitarist/vocalist Gussie Larkin and drummer/vocalist Ezra Simons, known for their raw, fuzz-drenched sound and unconventional song structures. Drawing inspiration from early Psychedelic Rock and Heavy Garage, their music blends heavy riffs, dual vocal harmonies, and a DIY aesthetic that captures the spirit of 70’s Sci-Fi. With captivating live performances and releases like their debut album “Floating Being” (2019), Earth Tongue has earned a reputation as one of the most exciting acts in the underground Psych scene.
SAUTRUS
Sautrus, formed in 2010 in northern Poland, is a Heavy Psychedelic Rock band known for their unique blend of Psychedelic, Stoner Rock, and ritualistic trance, evoking the sound of the 1970’s. With six releases to their name, including the upcoming album “Lazarus Dilemma” (2024), they have performed at numerous festivals and shared stages with iconic acts like Uriah Heep and Wishbone Ash.
WOLVES OF SATURN
Wolves Of Saturn from Dresden, Germany, are a Desert Rock band known for their immersive sound, featuring fuzz-laden guitars and an array of effects like Plasma Coil and Wahs. Their debut LP, “The Deserts Echo and the Peyote Delusion”, born during the pandemic in a WWII bunker, was released on April 01, 2023 and captures the essence of their unique creative process, blending themes of isolation and freedom into a mesmerising sonic journey.
IAH
IAH is an Instrumental Rock band formed in 2016 in Córdoba, Argentina, consisting of guitarist Mauricio Condon, bassist Juan Pablo Lucco Borlera, and drummer José Landín. Blending atmospheric Post-Rock with the heavy, hypnotic riffs of Post-Metal, their versatile sound defies genre categorization, and they have released five studio albums, including their latest, “V” (2023).
THE FLUKES OF SENDINGTON
All the way from Byron Bay, Australia, The Flukes of Sendington deliver a visceral and cathartic blend of Garage Rock, Funk, Psych, and Indie sounds. Formed in 2024, the band quickly gained momentum with a successful DIY European tour, captivating audiences at festivals like Vierdaagsefeesten Nijmegen and Munich Summer Sessions. With their debut album set for release in 2025 and another tour on the horizon, The Flukes of Sendington are a rising force of unforgettable energy.
FROM ANOTHER MOTHER
Blending Prog Rock, Punk Fusion, and Post-Hardcore, this energetic trio creates total madness at their gigs, blurring the line between audience and band in a whirlwind of controlled chaos. With over 200 live shows and a month-long Balkan tour in 2023, they’ve been spreading love and joy across Europe for more than a decade. Their discography includes two EPs and two albums: “Bratebra”, “Epileptir”, “ATATOA” (Kapitän Platte), and “Zest” (Jeboton).
UMOR
Umor emerges from the depths with low tunings, diminished keys, and a sound steeped in sonic doom, crafting a haunting blend of heavy, atmospheric music. Their music resonates like an apocalyptic hymn, weaving verses of despair, salvation, and inevitable darkness into crushing soundscapes. Umor invites listeners into their realm, where The Sound becomes a cleansing force, vibrating through the core and slowing the beat to an otherworldly stillness.
D.
D. is a three-piece band from Zagreb formed in 2022. Their music blends influences from various eras and genres, ranging from 1950’s Jazz to modern acts like King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard. Their energetic live performances are characterized by spontaneous jam sessions, creating a vibrant and immersive atmosphere.
MONICA
Monica is a band that captures the raw, emotional essence of desert landscapes, blending the sound of a dying engine with moments of unexpected speed and steady rhythm. Their music evokes the melancholic beauty of a desert rainstorm, where moments of dryness are interrupted by a cloud that brings refreshing, lively change. With their unique blend of melancholic and energetic sounds, Monica creates an immersive experience that resonates with both the harshness and serenity of nature’s unpredictable rhythms.
Posted in Whathaveyou on December 5th, 2024 by JJ Koczan
I’m with Hoflärm on this one. After 24 years of writing out the full year all the time — it was worst in the aughts, admittedly, but I’m still more inclined to type 2024 instead of just ’24 — it’s time to admit that we’re probably talking about this century rather than the previous one when it comes to a festival announcing a lineup for, say, months in the future. So, as you can see on the poster below, Hoflärm ’25 is not only doing this, but doing it with a banger of a lineup to support its argument. Plus, my understanding is the fest has a pretty casual vibe anyhow — I’ve never heard a bad word about it from either anyone who has attended or played — so the ’25 fits. Wait until the ’40s.
Graveyard and Monolord at the top of the bill is a winning opening salvo from the German three-dayer, but that’s really just the tip of the riffberg, with Rezn and Elephant Tree, MaidaVale, The Warlocks and Mexico’s Vinnum Sabbathi taking part, Khan coming from Australia, Annie Taylor and her band from Switzerland, Spirit Mother making a return to Europe, Coltaine supporting their new album, plus Vug, Piece and Lurch and more to come. Nothing to complain about as they put tickets on sale for those who might be fortunate enough to make the trip from wherever. I expect a few of these will have tours around them — Khan, Spirit Mother, Rezn, Vinnum Sabbathi — so that will be worth keeping an eye on, but whatever shakes out in that regard, Hoflärm looks sweet as hell.
From social media, which was a thing back in the ’20s:
⚡️ Hoflärm 2025 – Satan‘s Finest ⚡️
The goat cult continues – First Bands + Presale Start 🪦
We thrilled to announce that we are back – 14. – 16.08.2025 – Tickets are now an sale. Link in Bio 🐐
Please welcome the first bands for 2025:
@graveyardmusic and @monolordofficial will headline Friday and Saturday of @hoflaerm 2025!
We are more than happy to welcome Monolord again after their cancellation in 2022!
We are proud to announce Graveyard as festival headliner! This band has been an elementary companion since the first idea for this festival.
@rezzzn , @elephant_tree_band and @pieceismetal are going to open the fields of doom!
@thewarlocks , @maidavaleband @khanbandofficial and @lurch.band are here to trip with you through the cosmic clouds above!
Shake your knees to @annietaylorband , @vug.band and @spiritmotherband while you walk through the dark woods around Hoflärm with @vinnumsabbathiband and @coltaine !
So, hey. I’m at Freak Valley Festival. Not by much, admittedly. My general position is that until I’m standing (or preferably, casually reclining) in a place, I’m not convinced a thing that is maybe supposed to happen is going to pan out, but this trip was tenuous even by that standard. It’s Thursday. I flew out of NYC yesterday afternoon. I didn’t know for sure I’d be making the trip until Tuesday, and if I’d been able to cancel the flight and get a refund — which I couldn’t, because capitalism — I’d more likely have stayed home to be with my family as my mother recovers from having her knee replaced, also yesterday afternoon, which I was getting text updates about sitting on the plane waiting to take off. I’d have gotten them during the whole flight as well, but you had to pay for internet even just for basic phone signal — again, capitalism; the airline also randomly played commercials at one point during the flight, whether you were watching a movie or not; gross — but was able to find out after the flight landed how her evening went. I went from the hospital to the airport, stopping at home to get the dog for the car ride. My mother is fine and recovering, in case you’re curious.
The flight got in at 6AM and led to a train trip from Frankfurt to Siegen, where I’m staying, that took the better part of the next four hours. No sleep worth mentioning overnight on the plane; I was thankful to the very nice man at the information counter who printed out my route with the wheres and whens for changes — it even had the tracks; not gross — though the timing ended up being incorrect and there was an extra hour of waiting at Geißen. I was glad to have brought chargers. After taking a cab from the train station and not having cash for the driver, who of course didn’t take cards, I checked in, crashed for about two and a half hours, showered and headed out to the outdoor fest grounds in Netphen, which is the next town over. Did I mention it was raining?
All of which is to say that it has been quite a 24-hour stretch, but I know that once the music starts it will be okay. I’ll leave it there for now in advance of that.
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Full Earth
Not to say it’s a surprise that Full Earth’s songs are so recognizable from their earlier-this-year debut, Cloud Sculptors (review here), but I am willing to say that I don’t always think of an 85-minute synth-led instrumental heavy prog 2LP as a context for earworms. Nonetheless, here we are, with the Oslo-based five-piece offshoot of Kanaan (who play shortly) cementing the immediate you-are-here vibe of Freak Valley 2024, and living up to my “it’ll be okay when…” above — there’s a tattoo artist here in back; it is tempting to have that put somewhere on my person as a reminder for those days where it seems like “never” is when it’s okay — with their material, poised and purposeful live as on the record(s). I got to the grounds in time to grab coffee and almost buy two tie-dye shirts for my daughter — they’re awesome and the right size — but the line for the chipkarte (a bracelet with an RFID you put money on) was massive, so I opted to stay put for a few minutes, breathe and let some of the residual adrenaline go into the twisting movement coming from the stage. Light rain falling, mud in the photo pit, but I brought a poncho and am ready to dig in. Full Earth, to that end, were a perfect start.
Daevar
Köln’s Daevar released their second album, Amber Eyes, in March through The Lasting Dose Records, and for the life of me, I thought I reviewed it but can’t find the link. Maybe I just enjoyed listening to it instead and thought sentences about it without typing them? New realities every minute in whatever you call this universe. Either way, that Daevar record is murky-rolly-melodoom, and the trio’s ethereal thickness of tone worked well with the concurrent uptick in rainfall, pushing the line between drizzling and raining and making me glad I brought a poncho should it continue. You could argue that, despite the differences in sound between Full Earth and Daevar, the common factor is still immersion, and certainly in both there’s room for everybody, and Daevar’s nod was also enough to draw a crowd around the Rockpalast video-feed monitor backstage, centered in on riffs and density but broad in the guitar leads and bigger moments of crash. They’re an easy band to dig among the converted, it seems, though I have to imagine most humans not in this valley on the AWO grounds in Netphen would have any idea where they’re coming from. And maybe that’s part of what resonates too. Subculture speaking to itself about itself. I think that’s how you build community, right? With riffs influenced by other riffs influenced by Black Sabbath? Governments should be giving out grants for this shit. Somebody has their baby here in a carrier (with proper ear protection). The smell of mud and cigarettes and weed. Me and coffee. Plus riffs.
Kanaan
Striking how different Kanaan are in their intention than Full Earth, in which all three members of the band take part. For Kanaan, it’s the heavy jams, and where Full Earth felt plotted front to back, Kanaan are certainly tight as musicians — they’d have to be or neither band would work, let alone be good — but you can hear improvisation at root in their sound as opposed to composition. And they’re still playing songs from records — they dipped back to their first album, 2018’s Windborne, for “A. Hausenbecken” — so there’s a plot being followed, but the structure is different and the atmosphere follows on from that in a way that it might not for many acts whose players are pulling double-duty in a given festival day. I didn’t get many pictures before being unceremoniously kicked out of the photo pit for reasons that, if they were stated at all, were not in a language I speak — and that’s my problem, not the dude from security’s — but I’ve chosen to not stress about that shit. I started taking pictures at shows like 13 years ago because I felt like photos were missing from live reviews and I didn’t want to ask anyone else to do it, but I harbor no delusions of talent in that regard and I feel like all this time later doing the thing, it’s still tertiary in my mind to the experience of watching Kanaan take a bow at the end of their set. If it was something I was better at, I’d probably be more interested in it, and vice versa. I got a couple shots anyhow, and having now seen Kanaan three times and twice in the last year, I’m having a hard time coming up with anything to say about their on-stage chemistry that isn’t hyperbole. They should probably tour the States, in theory, but between visa fees and the crowd getting it, I have to wonder if it would be worth their time to do so in the first place.
C.O.F.F.I.N.
They win the day easily in terms of distance traveled to be here. And it’s a good thing their singer was busy also playing drums, since with all the barking behind the mic it kind of felt like somebody was going to get bit. I had listened to C.O.F.F.I.N. — whose moniker stands for Children of Norway Fighting in Finland; they’re from Sydney, Australia — on the ol’ internettobox, and they were plenty punky in person as well, but perhaps tailored their set a bit to the crowd to lean into groove rather than shove, though I’ll emphasize, no lack of either. Before they went on, The Mad Hatter did a secret-ish quick set during the changeover, giving a kind of local color to the bluesy proceedings. As for C.O.F.F.I.N. themselves, they wereI neither retro nor bullshit in their interpretation of old-school rock volatility, and even the barking had charm, let alone the dry ice bubbles that were launching from out of the stage. I’ll admit to being distracted and exhausted enough to feel like I earned the headache I was fighting against, but even in such a state the brash energy wrought from the stage was palpable, whatever else might’ve been going on at the time as it started to get dark a bit after 9PM. C.O.F.F.I.N. weren’t all the way my thing, much as I have one, but I got to take pictures for a couple songs and that was a relief, and then I hung back and watched the crowd go from drunk to drunk-dancing, which I took to mean that a hell of an evening was under way. And so it was, mud-mosh and everything.
Slomosa
“Cabin Fever” and “Rice” into the much mellower verses of “Psykonaut” at the start of the set was a bold play, but Norway’s Slomosa seem to be used to that by now, and it suits them on stage. A clearly developed and worked-on stage presence and vitality, songs that don’t sacrifice hooks at the altar of their own fuzz, and professionalism beyond the fact that to-date they only have one record out — there’s a lot about Slomosa to like, even beyond the earliest-QOTSA tone of “In My Mind’s Desert” and the stonery bounce of the drums in “Battling Guns,” which is a highlight of their out-at-some-point sophomore LP, which they followed with another new song, but not before saying they planned to release the set as a live album — an advantage of having Rockpalast on hand. Another new one, “Red Thundra,” followed, and an invitation to sing along to “There is Nothing New Under the Sun” followed, which was accepted by some even in back where I was standing. Bottom line, they were locked in. A band with this much going for them, even in a largely-ignored, underground style, all they really need to do is keep going the way they are. They’re not a stylistic revolution, but over the next couple years there are going to be a lot of bands coming out of Europe working under their influence — there already are a few — and on stage they absolutely lived up to what I hoped they would be. More, they seemed like they enjoyed it, and were at home holding their energy for the duration. If they can keep this lineup together, they’re on their way to being something very special. They finished with “Horses,” which opened their 2020 self-titled debut (review here), and it was easy to think they might do so for years to come, then did an encore of “Scavengers” that felt like it had been earned.
Monolord
Masters of nod. Even if you could deny Monolord at this stage in the game, for the life of me I have no idea why you would. A decade removed from their debut LP, Empress Rising (discussed here), the Swedish trio of Thomas V. Jäger, Mika Häkki and Esben Willems are easily among the most essential heavy bands of that same decade, and the way they’ve been able to take generic notions like heavy riffs and rolling grooves with melodic vocals and own them to a point of casting a subset of modern stoner-doom in their image is all well and good, but they also still kill it live. In a move that would only ever aid in that cause, they had the esteemed Per Wiberg — who was here in 2023 with the bluesy Kamchatka as well, and has done time with the likes of Spiritual Beggars, Opeth and Candlemass; his latest solo album, The Serpent’s Here (review here), came out earlier this year — sitting in on guitar before moving to keys for the 2023 standalone single “It’s All the Same,” which was duly flattening. It’s just about never what you hear talked about when it comes to their recordings or live shows — and they’re so heavy that it’s kind of understandable — but I’ll argue there’s emotional resonance at play especially in their later work, and it’d be miraculous if calling it that didn’t undercut the work they’ve put in growing as songwriters and performers let them march and convey slog without actually being a drag to hear. All this and Per Wiberg doubling the riff of “Empress Rising,” too? It was a good night to be alive at Freak Valley Festival, and I ended it up front while the band handed out setlists and tossed drumsticks to the crowd, and zero regrets for that.
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More tomorrow, and more the day after that. Hi from Freak Valley. Pics after the jump.
Posted in Whathaveyou on May 2nd, 2024 by JJ Koczan
From the kingpins Monster Magnet placed at the top of the poster to lumberwizards Monolord, British sludge-chargers Raging Speedhorn, the darkly crushing Morne and the deathly extrapolations of Inter Arma and whatever on earth Spaceslug might get up to when they take the stage, the latest announcement from Desertfest Belgium 2024 expands the scope of the Antwerp-based three-dayer in multiple directions at the same time. I suppose that could be said even if the only band joining the lineup was Green Milk From Planet Orange, but perhaps it’s that much truer with Dutch heavy rockers Drive by Wire listed alongside Portland, Oregon, extreme proggers Lord Dying, and so on, and as this batch of 15 acts is added to the glut of those already confirmed, the shape of the festival seems set up to benefit from playing all these different takes off each other. They’re announcing the day splits tomorrow, and it should be interesting to see who ends up where and how it all fits together under the headliners.
They say there’s more to add, so I guess that timetable will have a few TBAs. Still, in geographic and aesthetic reach, Desertfest Belgium has become a standout among the busy October festival season in Europe, and a point of convergence for a slew of tours besides. Even if they weren’t bringing anybody else on board, it would already be one to remember.
Dig it:
As promised we quench your thirst for new DF24 names with this divine batch of bands! 👁️
Monster Magnet / Monolord / Black Tusk / INTER ARMA / Spaceslug / Raging Speedhorn / Lord Dying / MORNE / Your Highness / KARKARA Drive By Wire / Five The Hierophant / Norna Green Milk From The Planet Orange / Hell Valley High
This Friday (May 3rd) our day ticket sales starts at 11:00am CET.
Check out our website this Friday to find out which of your favourite bands is playing when.
This Friday, Esben Willems will make his solo debut with the full-length Glowing Darkness on Majestic Mountain Records, and I won’t mince words in telling you that for some of the built-in audience who know him only from his output as the drummer of Swedish riff magnates Monolord, it’s going to seem like a pretty stark departure. The path of influence that’s brought Willems to this nine-song, 33-minute long-player is more complex than a simple ‘band wasn’t on tour so I made a record by myself’ narrative one might try to impose on it, and from the insistent weirdo-pop urgency of “Cabaret Street” — as if to jolt one awake at the outset — through the guitar-led bounce of the title-track and the finale “Across the Everything,” which presents a sound that is full and atmospheric while still not tying itself to this or that microgenre, the personality of the procession becomes like a series of experiments brought to fruition in order to actively work against the generic in and around heavy music.
Recording himself on all instruments at Studio Berserk in Gothenburg, where there’s at least a 30 percent chance he also mastered your album, Willems runs through a succession of cuts that seems to owe its core ethic of creative freedom to Talking Heads no less than Masters of Reality, with “Dear Demon” and “Carte Blanche” building on the catchy structure of “Cabaret Street” in a way that allows Glowing Darkness to remain cohesive as it chasing down different ideas. Would it be a shock if I told you it’s well produced?
Those who’ve perhaps followed Willems through his various collaborations in recent years — lest we forget the “here’s some beats have fun” drum patterns he posted during the covid pandemic that led to his ‘guesting’ on releases from all over the world — or who even took on the earlier-this-year self-titled debut from doom-does-Slayer covers project Slower (review here), might be better set up to follow where Glowing Darkness is headed, but one way or the other, the reward is there for the open-minded, and the palpable defiance of expectation brims with purpose. As the standalone layered vocals and last guitar noodle of “Carte Blanche” give over to the more sauntering groove of “Embrace the Fall,” daring a bit of funk in the nuanced pattern of the verse before opening to the rolling chorus, Willems feels strikingly clearheaded in his arrangements and the balance of the mix.
And while mostly traditionalist in verse/chorus structures, the material is all the more able to explore and expand stylistically for that sure footing, but it’s also concise enough that only “Cabaret Street” and “Across the Everything” push beyond a four-minute runtime, the latter serving as the longest inclusion at 5:01. It may be that Willems sat down and plotted out measure by measure, layer by layer, waveform by waveform, the various reaches into which Glowing Darkness delves — I honestly don’t know and I don’t have the track-by-track yet, so maybe we’ll find out together — but whatever the initial spark might have been for the minimalist-Nirvana-meets-cavernous-nod centerpiece “Slow Rain,” the feeling of spontaneity, and of a creative chase, of an artist figuring out in real-time who they are and how they want to bring the songs in their head to life, remains amid the tight and hammered-out spirit of the finished LP.
Tucked away cozily in the procession of side B, “Space Bob” leans percussive intricacy on a fuzzy riff that’s simpler but sturdy enough to support all the activity and finds Willems repeating the lines, “I had to save myself/This head/Caught fire,” as the guitar grows more fervent before receding. It’s three minutes long and doesn’t come anywhere near summarizing Glowing Darkness as a whole — it’s not trying to — but it does capture a specific portrait of creative urgency. Have you ever felt like your head’s on fire? Like there’s something you need to get out, to express, to say or do or share and you’re consumed by that thing until you actually make it happen? I do, often. In that way, “Space Bob” feels like it’s about its own making, the way it’s built up to what Willems wanted it to be or until he was satisfied enough with what it became to say it’s done. Isn’t that what being an artist is like? Your head’s just on fire all the time? Maybe Willems intended the metaphor and maybe not, but the notion of artistic expression being what ‘saves’ you from the fire resonates. Sometimes it’s like that.
What Willems in the track-by-track/interview that follows refers to as “limitations” become quirks in craft and style. The way the vocals are layered and patterned. The stops in the guitar of “Fortune Teller” that bounce while feeling intimate and personal like some lost McCartney-era experiment, or the way “Across the Everything” lets itself submerge in the wash of tone and space before Glowing Darkness ends with drums and voice alone, heavy in tone and presence but still very much its own take. One could hardly ask a more fitting resolution, not the least because it also doesn’t attempt to summarize so much as to keep adding to the breadth of the whole album while staying grounded in structure. That duality becomes crucial throughout.
I’ve been fortunate enough to interview Willems a few times over the last several years, and probably could’ve fired up Zoom to make an ass out of myself for a video chat. But since the album’s streaming in full, you’re not likely to watch a video at the same time you’re listening to the record, and I think there’s something appealing about reading an artist’s view of their work while you listen to the work itself; a multi-sensory immersion. One way or the other, I hope you enjoy, and thanks for reading.
Glowing Darkness can be heard in its entirety on the player below, followed by the track-by-track:
Glowing Darkness track-by-track with Esben Willems
When did Glowing Darkness start to come together? How far back do these songs go, and at what point did you know you wanted to make an album under your own name as opposed to starting another band?
It’s been lingering for a long time, I wanted to get back to writing and recording music on the side again. I love side-projects and how they fuel the creativity in unexpected ways, I’ve always had the need to create in multiple different directions. The journey we’ve made with Monolord the past decade has been overwhelmingly amazing; the effect of that has also been that between tours, behind the scenes admin work and most important of all family, I haven’t had the time to explore much else. In 2019, we decided to take one season off from touring with the band – simply to recharge – and shortly after that the pandemic hit, so all that combined was the perfect opportunity to play around with these song ideas, some of them probably about 15 years old, I don’t really remember. Misfit, maladjusted little nuggets that didn’t really fit in any other project along the way, but all of them ideas I returned to when rummaging through the digital archives, as one does every now and then.
I figured that if these songs made me smile, there should be at least a handful of people on this planet that are wired the same way I am and would feel the same, so I started reworking them and rewriting most of the lyrics to what felt relevant in my life now. Also, I’ve often preached to people around me that they should embrace their limitations and create regardless of them, instead turning those limitations into creative tools, but I have been really bad at adapting that mindset myself, so I felt that this would be a great way to give myself a Henry Rollins asskicking to get going. So, that’s the reason this is not a new band and it’s also the reason that I’m playing all the instruments and singing all the vocals, warts and all, just to see what I could accomplish with the quite substantial limitations I have outside of the drumkit. And inside of it, for that matter. Incredibly scary, which also fueled the inspiration even further.
What do you most want people who only know you from Monolord to know about these songs? Imagine someone is about to put it on for the first time. What should their mindset be?
That it’s not Monolord, at all. I don’t want to deceive anyone into expecting that this will be a rumble fest in a slightly different direction. I love that and those projects of mine will also be recorded and released, but this one is a ticket to somewhere else. Speaking of describing music, I love how we all perceive music so differently. We can love the same thing, but most likely from entirely different perspectives and we can hate something the same way. I’ve seen this described as some sort of post-punk several times now and that is not even remotely close to what I hear myself. Which is really cool, it’s all been mentioned as a compliment and I’ll take it, regardless of whatever genre this might be considered as.
Let’s go through the tracks. “Cabaret Street”:
I was frustrated about how so much of my surroundings and even my own behaviour revolved around the insatiable search for validation. It might sound like a “social media is bad and I’m afraid of wifi” statement, but I feel that blaming social media only is a bit one-dimensional and lazy, to me this virus culture is equally fueled by how our society is constructed. Social media is just a tumorous result of that, I think. Social media is also an amazing tool, if used right.
If this song is anti- anything, it would be anti-capitalism.
“Dear Demon”
I guess many of us have that head demon that never sleeps, that beast who’s never out of energy to remind you that you’re not good enough, that your desperate attempts to matter are nothing more than embarrassingly transparent and laughable theatrics. This is my love letter to my own demon, just to confuse it. I know it won’t confuse it for long, it will be back with full force tomorrow. But so will I and my coffee is both stronger and real.
“Carte Blanche”
It seems to be a permanent human flaw that we in the bigger picture never – or very rarely – really learn from our mistakes. When a relationship, a job, any human interaction goes wrong we tend to just end it without reflection, replace it with something similar and repeat the process elsewhere with someone else, naively hoping that this utopia will be different. We start things the same way and we end things the same way, rinse and repeat. Denial is an addictive spice.
“Embrace the Fall”
Speaking of denial, the collective version of that in the shape of the silently socially accepted self medication is peak tragicomedy to me. Or rather, the tragicomedy lies in it’s collective denial, not the actual numbing by beers, by I’m-not-addicted-I-can-quit-anytime-there-are-no-side-effects-420brah weed or whatever your preferred sedative might be. Not saying that I don’t embrace the buzz of my gentrified hazy IPA – I really do – I just find some kind of dark humor in that I also participate in that game of pretending.
“Slow Rain”
A deliberately slow one about the process of breaking on the inside, over and over, but still keep functioning on the outside, no matter what. The constant battle between strength and fragility.
“Glowing Darkness”
Even though life can feel bleak and uphill, there are always bright spots in the darkness. They might be small and seemingly insignificant, but they sometimes shines a brighter light than you’d maybe expect.
“Space Bob”
I think and hope this one is self-explanatory. If not, it might be because you didn’t save yourself when your head caught fire. You have to.
“Fortune Teller”
This is to my life companion, what we have is incredible to me. Through all the bumps and twists and turns, we have the best of rides. I love her.
“Across the Everything”
I love playing live and being able to travel the world to do so. But it comes at the expense of deeply missing my loved ones, especially my kid as a parent. Not being there in the flesh is heartbreaking and something I always struggle with when I tour. This is to my son, my promise that I will always come home.
Now that Glowing Darkness is coming out – and releasing it has been in the works for a while, right? – how are you feeling about the release? Are you relieved to have it out in the world (almost), inspired to move forward as a songwriter, tired of the whole idea? What comes next?
It’s indeed been in the works for quite a while, yes, so it feels really good to finally have it out. Also, as with every new release, nervous. I hope that people that are into this kind of music will enjoy it.
I’m always inspired to move forward, to make new music. More projects are already in the works, both solo type stuff and projects with others. Regarding writing music, I’m finally getting back to it, having been away from it for almost a decade. I’m rusty, but I’m having tons of fun in the process.
Anything else you want to say about the record, or anything else generally?
Listen to music, a lot of music, as far and wide in genres and cultures as you can. Don’t limit yourself with predefined taste. Puritanism is boring. Curiosity is not.
Posted in Whathaveyou on February 14th, 2024 by JJ Koczan
With Pentagram at the top of its thus-far bill playing what will reportedly be their final Swiss show ever on a retirement tour that will also stop through Desertfest Berlin 2024 this Spring, the Sound of Liberation-associated Up in Smoke Festival has made the first lineup announcement for its 10th anniversary edition. Set for Oct. 4-6, it is at the spearhead of what will almost certainly be a busy month on the European underground touring circuit. And as one expects news to follow shortly from other October festivals throughout Western Europe — Keep it Low in Munich, Desertfest Belgium in Antwerp, Høstsabbat in Norway that I’ve been fortunate enough to go to a couple times, and so on — knowing that the likes of Truckfighters, Monolord, Lowrider, Greenleaf and Slomosa will be out on the road, at least the latter two of them behind new records, warms the heart in February’s drear. Will I be there? Probably not, barring a miracle or some kind of grant that doesn’t exist, but someone will be, and that’s rad enough of a thought to get me through the end of this sentence, so I’ll take it.
Wonder if we’ll see new stuff from Gnome this year, and I think Messa were beginning the process this winter of their next LP. October is far enough away that just about anything can happen between now and then, and I guess that’s part of the fun in posting these things in the first place. Thanks for talking that one through with me.
And while we’re here, happy 10th anniversary to Up in Smoke, and many happy returns.
Here’s the latest:
⚡️UP IN SMOKE FESTIVAL 2024 – FIRST BAND ANNOUNCEMENT⚡️
Hey Smokers,
Today, we are thrilled to announce the first bunch of amazing bands for the 10th-anniversary of our beloved Up In Smoke Festival!🖤
None other than Bobby Liebling and his crew in Pentagram will be joining us to celebrate their last show in Switzerland ever! 🔥
So great to see our Scandinavian friends Truckfighters, Monolord, Slomosa, Greenleaf and Lowrider joining the madness with exclusive Switzerland shows.
In addition to this, we are introducing the dark, haunting sounds of the female-fronted doom outfits Messa and Wolvennest, along with the experimental rockers Djinn, Belgium’s one and only Gnome, and the UK riffmasters Psychlona.
Up in Smoke takes place near Basel and Switzerland offers some excellent bands as well! Check out Tar Pond, Preamp Disaster, Norna, No Mute and Glue.🇨🇭
Make no mistake, this was just the beginning!👀
Up in Smoke 2024 will be a massive heavy rockin’ birthday bash and the stoner party of the year!🪩
Line Up:
Pentagram *last Swiss show ever* Truckfighters Monolord Lowrider Greenleaf Slomosa Messa Wolvennest Gnome Psychlona Djiin Tar Pond Preamp Disaster Norna No Mute Glue & many more
