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
Posted in Whathaveyou on December 6th, 2023 by JJ Koczan
Founding Conan guitarist and vocalist Jon Davis has made absolutely zero secret of his love for Fudge Tunnel. Over the years, on social media and in interviews he’s heralded the undervalued noise metallers who called it quits in 1995 and whose 1991 debut, Hate Songs in E Minor, remains a landmark. In August, when Conan announced they’d be undertaking a series of 7″ singles, one of the songs included in the first was a Fudge Tunnel cover, and David Riley — Conan‘s new permanent bassist as per an announcement today — has played alongside Davis in his Ungraven project as well, so his joining Conan seems like a natural extension.
Nonetheless, it’s a significant change in the band, whose low end has been on utter lockdown since 2014 thanks to Chris Fielding. Also one of the UK underground’s foremost producer/engineers, Fielding wasn’t Conan‘s first bassist, but he brought a presence and aggression to the stage that set well alongside Davis‘ own, his low growls and Davis‘ higher shouting style developing a dynamic between them that I doubt anyone could’ve guessed Conan would’ve featured when they started out and that made them a richer band. Conan has said that Fielding will continue to act as their producer, as he recorded them before he joined as well, and while they’re not far removed from 2022’s Evidence of Immortality (review here), an even partially new lineup inevitably leads to questions of new studio work. I’ll be interested to hear that, of course, as well as to see what Riley brings to the three-piece on stage with Davis and drummer Johnny King.
Those questions can I guess just kind of hang out for a bit, since Conan kept the announcement short and sweet in welcoming Riley to the band. Here’s what they had to say and a video they put on Instagram to mark the occasion:
*NEW BASSIST ANNOUNCED* Those of you who know how much of an influence Fudge Tunnel have been on us, will no doubt know how exciting it is to be able to be able to announce our new bass player. David has played and toured with us several times since 2018, it gives us great pleasure to have him join us formally. @fudge_tunnel @ryley.barr #heavymetal #cavemanbattledoom #riffs #fudgetunnel thanks to @alterystudios for the graphics
CONAN is: Jon Davis – Guitar, Vocals David Riley – Bass Johnny King – Drums
Posted in Reviews on November 30th, 2023 by JJ Koczan
Generally I think of Thursday as the penultimate day of a given Quarterly Review. This one I was thinking of adding more days to get more stuff in ahead of year-end coverage coming up in December. I don’t know what that would do to my weekend — actually, yes I do — but sometimes it’s worth it. I’m yet undecided. Will let you know tomorrow, or perhaps not. Dork of mystery, I am.
Today is PACKED with cool sounds. If you haven’t found something yet that’s really hit you, it might be your day.
Quarterly Review #31-40:
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Tortuga, Iterations
From traditionalist proto-doom and keyboard-inflected prog to psychedelic jamming and the Mountain-style start-stop riff on “Lilith,” Poznań, Poland’s Tortuga follow 2020’s Deities (discussed here) with seven tracks and 45 minutes that come across as simple and barebones in the distortion of the guitar and the light reverb on the vocals, but the doom rock doesn’t carry from “Lilith” into “Laspes,” which has more of a ’60s psych crux, a mellow but not unjoyful meander in its first half turning to a massive lumber in the second, all the more elephantine with a solo overtop. They continue throughout to cross the lines between niches — “Quaus” has some dungeon growls, “Epitaph” slogs emotive like Pallbearer, etc. — and offer finely detailed performances in a sound malleable to suit the purposes of their songs. Polish heavy doesn’t screw around. Well, at least not any more than it wants to. Tortuga‘s creative reach becomes part of the character of the album.
I’m sorry, I gotta ask: What’s the point of anything when Spidergawd can put out a record like VII and it’s business as usual? Like, the world doesn’t stop for a collective “holy shit” moment. Even in the heavy underground, never mind general population. These are the kinds of songs that could save lives if properly employed to do so, and for the Norwegian outfit, it’s just what they do. The careening hooks of “Sands of Time” and “The Tower” at the start, the melodies across the span. The energy. I guess this is dad rock? Shit man, I’m a dad. I’m not this cool. Spidergawd have seven records out and I feel like Metallica should’ve been opening for them at stadiums this past summer, but they remain criminally underrated and perhaps use that as flexibility around their pop-heavy foundation to explore new ideas. The last three songs on VII — “Afterburner,” “Your Heritage” and “…And Nothing But the Truth” — are among the strongest and broadest Spidergawd have ever done, and “Dinosaur” and the classic-metal ripper “Bored to Death” give them due preface. One of the best active heavy rock bands, living up to and surpassing their own high standards.
Rumbling low end and spacious guitar, slow flowing drums and contemplative vocals, and some charred sludge for good measure, mark out the procession of “At First Light” on Morag Tong‘s third album and first for Majestic Mountain Records, the four-song Grieve. Moving from that initial encapsulation through the raw-throat sludge thud of most of “Passages,” they crash out and give over to quiet guitar at about four minutes in and set up the transition to the low-end groove-cool of “A Stem’s Embrace,” a sleepy fluidity hitting its full voluminous crux after three minutes in, crushing from there en route to its noisy finish at just over nine minutes long. That would be the epic finisher of most records, but Morag Tong‘s grievances extend to the 20-minute “No Sun, No Moon,” which at 20 minutes is a full-length’s progression on its own. At very least the entirety of side B, but more than the actual runtime is the theoretical amount of space covered as the four-piece shift from ambient drone through huge plod and resolve the skyless closer with a crushing delve into post-sludge atmospherics. That’s as fitting an end as one could ask for an offering that so brazenly refuses to follow impulses other than its own.
The nine-song Wahn Und Sinn carries the distinction of being the first full-length from German singer-songwriter Conny Ochs — also known for his work in Ananda Mida and his collaboration with Wino — to be sung in his own language. As a non-German speaker, I won’t pretend that doesn’t change the listening experience, but that’s the idea. Words and melodies in different languages take on corresponding differences in character, and so in addition to appreciating the strings, pianos, acoustic and electric guitars, and, in the case of “Welle,” a bit of static noise in a relatively brief electronic soundscape, hearing Ochs‘ delivery no less emotive for switching languages on the cinematic “Grimassen,” or the lounge drama of “Ding” earlier on, it’s a new side from a veteran figure whose “experimentalism” — and no, I’m not talking about singing in your own language as experimental, I’m talking about Trialogos there — is backburnered in favor of more traditional, still rampantly melancholy pop arrangements. It sounds like someone who’s decided they can do whatever the hell they feel like their songs should making that a reality. Only an asshole would hold not speaking the language against that.
I’m going to write this review as though I’m speaking directly to Ritual King because, well, I am. Hey guys. Congrats on the record. I can hear a ton going on with it. Some of Elder‘s bright atmospherics and rhythmic twists, some more familiar stoner riffage repurposed to suit a song like “Worlds Divide” after “Flow State” calls Truckfighters to mind, the songs progressive and melodic. The way you keep that nod in reserve for “Landmass?” That’s what I’m talking about. Here’s some advice you didn’t ask for: Keep going. I’m sure you have big plans for next year, and that’s great, and one thing leads to the next. You’re gonna have people for the next however long telling you what you need to do. Do what feels right to you, and keep in mind the decisions that led you to where you are, because you’re right there, headed to the heart of this thing you’re discovering. Two records deep there’s still a lot of potential in your sound, but I think you know a track like “Tethered” is a victory on its own, and that as big as “The Infinite Mirror” gets at the end, the real chance it takes is in the earlier vocal melody. You’re a better band than people know. Just keep going. Thanks.
Inhabiting the sort of alternately engulfing and minimal spaces generally occupied by the likes of Bell Witch, New Jersey’s Oldest Sea make their full-length debut with A Birdsong, A Ghost and realize a bleakness of mood that is affecting even in its tempo, seeming to slow the world around it to its own crawl. The duo of Samantha Marandola and Andrew Marandola, who brought forth their Strange and Eternal EP (review here) in 2022, find emotive resonance in a death-doom build through the later reaches of “Untracing,” but the subsequent three-minute-piece-for-chorus-and-distorted-drone “Astronomical Twilight” and the similarly barely-there-until-it-very-much-is closer “Metamorphose” mark out either end of the extremes while “The Machines That Made Us Old” echoes Godflesh in its later riffing as Samantha‘s voice works through screams en route to a daringly hopeful drone. Volatile but controlled, it is a debut of note for its patience and vulnerability as well as its deep-impact crash and consuming tone.
Each track on Dim Electrics‘ self-titled five-songer LP becomes a place to rest for a while. No individual piece is lacking activity, but each cut has room for the listener to get inside and either follow the interweaving aural patterns or zone out as they will. Founded by Mahk Rumbae, the Vienna-based project is meditative in the sense of basking in repetition, but flashes like the organ in the middle of “Saint” or the shimmy that takes hold in 18-minute closer “Dream Reaction” assure it doesn’t reside in one place for too much actual realtime, of which it’s easy to lose track when so much krautgazey flow is at hand. Beginning with ambience, “Ways of Seeing” leads the listener deeper into the aural chasm it seems to have opened, and the swirling echoes around take on a life of their own in the ecosystem of some vision of space rock that’s also happening under the ground — past and future merging as in the mellotron techno of “Memory Cage” — which any fool can tell you is where the good mushrooms grow. Dug-in, immersive, engaging if you let it be; Dim Electrics feels somewhat insular in its mind-expansion, but there’s plenty to go around if you can put yourself in the direction it’s headed.
A newcomer project from Kamil Ziółkowski, also known for his contributions as part of Polish heavy forerunners Spaceslug, the tone-forward approach of Mountain of Misery might be said to be informed by Ziółkowski‘s other project in opener “Not Away” or the penultimate “Climb by the Sundown,” with their languid vocals and slow-rolling tsunami fuzz in the spirit of heavy psych purveyors Colour Haze and even more to the point Sungrazer, but the howling guitar in the crescendo of closer “The Misery” and the all-out assault of “Hang So Low” distinguish the band all around. “The Rain is My Love” sways in the album’s middle, but it’s in “Circle in Roundness” that the 36-minute LP has its most subdued stretch, letting the spaces filled with fuzz elsewhere remain open as the verse builds atop the for-now-drumless expanse. Whatever familiar aspects persist, Mountain of Misery is its own band, and In Roundness is the exciting beginning of a new creative evolution.
The featured new single, “The Figure,” finds Barrie, Ontario’s Aawks somewhere between Canadian tonal lords Sons of Otis and the dense heavy psych riffing and melodic vocals of an act like Snail, and if you think I’m about to complain about that, you’ve very clearly never been to this site before. So hi, and welcome. The four-song Luna EP is Aawks‘ second short release of 2023 behind a split with Aiwass (review here), and the trio take on Flock of Seagulls and Pink Floyd for covers of the new wave radio hit “I Ran” and the psychedelic ur-classic “Julia Dream” before a live track, “All is Fine,” rounds out. As someone who’s never seen the band live, the additional crunch falls organic, and brings into relief the diversity Aawks show in and between these four songs, each of which inhabits a place in the emerging whole of the band’s persona. I don’t know if we’ll get there, but sign me up for the Canadian heavy revolution if this is the form it’s going to take.
The collaborative oeuvre of UK doomsperimental guitarist Mike Vest (Bong, Blown Out, Ozo, 11Paranoias, etc.) grows richer as he joins forces with Finnish trio Nolla to produce Kaliyuga Express‘ Warriors & Masters, which results in three tracks across two sides of far-out cosmic fuzz, shades of classic kraut and space rocks are wrought with jammy intention; the goal seeming to be the going more than the being gone as Vest and company burn through “Nightmare Dimensions” and the shoegazing “Behind the Veil” — the presence of vocals throughout is a distinguishing feature — hums in high and low frequencies in a repetitive inhale of stellar gases on side A while the 18:58 side B showdown “Endless Black Space” misdirects with a minute of cosmic background noise before unfurling itself across an exoplanet’s vision of cool and returning, wait for it, back to the drone from whence it came. Did you know stars are recycled all the time? Did you know that if you drop acid and peel your face off there’s another face underneath? Your third eye is googly. You can hear voices in the drones. Let me know what they tell you.
Posted in Whathaveyou on September 19th, 2023 by JJ Koczan
Swirling around the thickened fuzz at its center are vibes out of both vintage heavy rock and cavern-dwelling proto-metal, but Poznań, Poland’s Tortuga aren’t really either of those things on their new single “Lilith.” The song runs six minutes and comes from the band’s inbound Napalm Records label-debut, Iterations. They liken some of it to a Type O Negative influence, and you can hear some of that in the wisps strung through the second half the song, the added spooky ambience and a quick count-in like they’re about to start playing “Kill All the White People” or some such, as well as the later solo’s soaring tone.
As one would have to expect, I was late to the party on their 2020 debut, Deities (discussed here), but it was cool, and from what I’ve heard of Iterations thus far — listening for the first time now; I’m at the pretty psych and quiet melancholy guitar that opens the nine-minute “Laspes” — forward progression is evident top to bottom in the mix, which by the way is a not insignificant range.
The video for “Lilith” is at the bottom of this post, as well as the stream of Deities from Tortuga‘s Bandcamp. The info comes from the PR wire:
Polish Psych Doom/Progressive Stoner Act TORTUGA Reveals Album Details & Music Video for First Single “Lilith”!
New Album, ‘Iterations’ – a Haunting Trip Through Time and Space – Out October 27, 2023 via Napalm Records
With their 2017 self-titled debut, TORTUGA took the heavy stoner and psychedelic doom metal scene by storm. Following their sophomore offering, ‘Deities’ (2020), and a worldwide record deal with rock and metal empire Napalm Records, October 27, 2023 will see the Polish four-piece unleash their third studio album, ‘Iterations’!
A music video for their first single, “Lilith”, is now premiering below.
TORTUGA comments:
“‘Lilith’ is a song full of emotions, an evocative journey through love and hate for humanity, a tale that embodies its own time paradox. While crafting this song, we aimed to vividly convey the interplay of these contrasting emotions, not just through lyrics, but also through the very essence of the music.
“The song takes our familiar stoner/doom sound and gives it a fresh twist. You’ll catch hints of Type O Negative in there; we’re just big fans! We’ve always been drawn to the raw emotion in their music—the delicate balance between happiness and sadness. With ‘Lilith’, we aimed to capture and reflect that same emotional depth without losing our own style.
“We can’t wait to share it with you live!”
Compared to its predecessors, TORTUGA’s forthcoming album ‘Iterations’ moves from monolithic stoner-doom to progressive and experimental facettes, enriching its listeners’ auditory experience while managing to mature the band’s epic doom and stoner trademarks. Anyone who may have previously mistook TORTUGA as a Lovecraftian themed band should make no mistake – they are storytellers, and ‘Iterations’ proves the Poznan-based outfit puts as much effort into said storytelling as their songwriting.
This time, the band digs deep and delivers a concept album about the whole history of the universe (from beginning to the end), which is also applicable, metaphorically, to the history of a person’s lifetime. Each of the seven new tracks are related in context to the theme of the entire record, but every one of them is a standalone story.
Songs such as today’s premiering first single, “Lilith”, showcase the authentic sound and unconventional songwriting of TORTUGA. In a world of over-polished studio productions, it’s even more exhilarating to discover ‘Iterations’. It’s a haunting trip through time and space, full of light and shadow. With ‘Iterations’, TORTUGA has passed the challenge of album number three with a grade A: The album is a thrilling, free-spirited, deep and enthralling ride, and one that will ultimately establish the band at the top of the current stoner doom and progressive psych rock Olympus!
Posted in Whathaveyou on September 8th, 2023 by JJ Koczan
Who’s gonna argue? Icelandic trio The Vintage Caravan will begin a European tour at Desertfest Belgium 2023 in Antwerp on Oct. 21. They’ll spend nearly a month on the road on a run scheduled largely after the wind-down of the Fall festival season, but accordingly at a less saturated time, as opposed to, say, mid-October, when even on the continental scale of Europe as a whole things are packed. Plus, taking off later allows them to get the release of their new live album, The Monuments Tour (Live), out of the way and pack the inevitable boxes of vinyl for lugging from show to show. At least until they sell through.
What’s funny is that the tour for 2021’s Monuments (review here) studio album will be continuing on this impending stint even as they memorialize it on the live 2LP. Leave it to The Vintage Caravan to exist in multiple timeframes. Suitable for a band who do so much to modernize classic heavy methods.
A sampling of their bona fides and info on the live record are available to check out below, as is the live video for “Can’t Get You Off My Mind,” which has been posted as the first single. Dig it:
THE VINTAGE CARAVAN to Release Live Album, ‘The Monuments Tour (Live)’, on October 13, 2023 via Napalm Records
Icelandic retro rock trio THE VINTAGE CARAVAN announce their first live album, ‘The Monuments Tour (Live)’, to be released on October 13, 2023 via Napalm Records!
Bringing back vintage rock with progressive influences, THE VINTAGE CARAVAN has proven more than capable of creating their own trademark sound, presenting guitar driven classics merged with blues and rock. Today, the band unveil the live single “Can’t Get You Off My Mind” – taking the listener on a blistering ride through pounding drums, intense guitar solos and an undeniably catchy chorus.
Known as an energetic live band, THE VINTAGE CARAVAN has convinced thousands of fans after countless high-voltage live performances at festivals such as Roadburn, Wacken and Hellfest, touring with Opeth, and most recently on their latest Latin American headline tour. THE VINTAGE CARAVAN create nostalgic nuances to get lost in, and with their upcoming first live album, they’ve finally captured the magic of their live performances on record.
Watch the live video for “Can’t Get You Off My Mind” below and catch THE VINTAGE CARAVAN live on the second leg of The Monuments Tour!
‘The Monuments Tour (Live)’ Track List: 1. Whispers (Live) 2. Crystallized (Live) 3. Reflections (Live) 4. Innerverse (Live) 5. Forgotten (Live) 6. Can’t Get You Off My Mind (Live) 7. Psychedelic Mushroom Man (Live) 8. Cocaine Sally (Live) 9. Hell (Live) 10. Babylon (Live) 11. On The Run (Live) 12. Expand Your Mind (Live) 13. Clarity (Live)
‘The Monuments Tour (Live)’ will be available in the following formats: => 2LP Gatefold marbled vinyl Red => 2LP Gatefold marbled vinyl Yellow => Digital Album
THE VINTAGE CARAVAN Fall 2023 European Tour
21/10 BE – Antwerp, Desertfest 23/10 CH – Aarau, KIFF 25/10 NL – Alkmaar, Victorie 26/10 DE – Bremen, Tower 27/10 NL – Helmond, De Cacaofabriek 28/10 NL – Drachten – Iduna 29/10 DE – Hannover, Béi Chéz Heinz 31/10 DE – Dresden, Club Puschkin 02/11 PL – Gdansk, Drizzly Grizzly 03/11 PL – Warsaw, Hydrozagadka 04/11 SK – Kosice, Colosseum 05/11 HU – Budapest, Analog Music Hall 07/11 HR – Zagreb, Vintage Industrial Bar 08/11 AT – Vienna, Arena 09/11 DE – Augsburg, Kantine 10/11 AT – Lustenau, Carini Saal 11/11 DE – Frankfurt, Nachtleben 13/11 DE – Stuttgart, Im Wizemann Club 14/11 DE – Dortmund, FZW Club 15/11 FR – Strasbourg, La Laiterie 17/11 FR – Marseille, Molotov 18/11 FR – Vallet, Westill Fest
THE VINTAGE CARAVAN is: Óskar Logi Ágústsson – lead vocals, electric guitar Alexander Örn Númason – bass guitar, backing vocals Stefán Ari Stefánsson – drums, percussion
Posted in Whathaveyou on August 28th, 2023 by JJ Koczan
Conan have made known their intention to issue a series of an untold number of limited 7″ singles over the next however many months. Yeah, details are pretty light, but it caught my eye because, well, in part because the Algorithm puts every social media post the band makes in front of my face because I usually respond to them (Jon Davis‘s got covid; get well soon, mate), but also because the included DIY hashtags would seem to indicate they’re not coming out through Napalm Records.
The UK-based obliterators put out five releases through Napalm, including one live album and last year’s Evidence of Immortality (review here), with its foray into atmospheric complexity complementing all their signature plunder. Now. I don’t know that theirs was or wasn’t a five-album deal. I don’t know that Conan‘s next album won’t come with a Napalm logo on the back. I don’t know anything. I don’t even know whether these singles will be out through Davis‘ Black Bow Records, or just punk-style, no label at all.
But I know they’re covering undervalued crunch rockers Fudge Tunnel on the first one — because it says it, right down there — and I know that Conan are slated to appear at Desertfest New York next month ahead of starting a previously announced European tour in October with Lord Dying, so that’s not nothing. As to the timing on these tracks, I’ve no idea, but with bassist Chris Fielding handling the recording as ever, the process feels pretty streamlined.
Here’s their post:
7” COLLECTOR SERIES…… We are launching a series of 7” singles. Our first, featuring both new & original material and also a cover of Hate Song by @fudge_tunnel is currently being mixed and mastered by @chrisfielding_musicproduction – and will be made available for pre order soon. These will be available through our bandcamp, so keep an eye open for news in the coming days. #cavemanbattledoom #diyrelease #diyordie #fudgetunnel
CONAN European tour w/ LORD DYING 11/10/2023 CZ Brno Fleda 12/10/2023 AT Linz Kapu 13/10/2023 CH Düdingen Bad Bonn 14/10/2023 CH Martigny Les Caves du Manoir 15/10/2023 IT Bologna Freakout Club 16/10/2023 SL Ljubljana Orto Bar 17/10/2023 HU Budapest Dürer Kert 18/10/2023 AT Vienna Arena 19/10/2023 PL Poznan Pod Minoga 20/10/2023 DE Dresden Chemiefabrik 21/10/2023 DK Copenhagen Råhuset (Only Lord Dying) 22/10/2023 NO Oslo Revolver 23/10/2023 SW Gothenburg The Abyss 25/10/2023 DE Hamburg Bahnhof Pauli 26/10/2023 DE Berlin Reset 27/10/2023 DE Hannover Cafe Glocksee 28/10/2023 NL Maastricht Samhain Festival 29/10/2023 BE Ghent Chinastraat 30/10/2023 DE Leipzig UT Connewitz 31/10/2023 DE Wiesbaden Schlachthof 01/11/2023 FR Dijon Les Tanneries 02/11/2023 SP Barcelona Salamandra 03/11/2023 SP Vitoria Jimmy Jazz 04/11/2023 FR Toulouse Connexion Live 05/11/2023 FR Colmar Le Grillen 06/11/2023 DE Munich Feierwerk
CONAN is: Jon Davis – Guitar, Vocals Chris Fielding – Bass Johnny King – Drums
Posted in Whathaveyou on July 7th, 2023 by JJ Koczan
Conan have signed with Swamp Booking for Euro representation, and how better to consummate the beginning of such a relationship than to announce a full round of European touring? Very good then. The UK allcrushers will head out starting Oct. 11 in the company of Portland, Oregon’s Lord Dying, who return to Europe for the first time since 2019 (of course). Their live lineup at the time was as listed below. I hope that if that’s no longer accurate, someone will fill me in. I did my best to find an updated one and couldn’t. I’m trying, you know.
They’ll be a fitting complement to Conan, whose 2022 LP, Evidence of Immortality (review here), found them growing more atmospheric with the inclusion of synth much as Lord Dying‘s 2019 outing, Mysterium Tremendum (review here), saw them building a bridge between their monstrous sludge and more progressive, angular metallurgy. Gonna be some killer shows here, I guess is the point. I hear that’s a thing people like.
Also can’t help but notice Lord Dying heading out for nearly a month on the road four years after their last record. If they’re giving Mysterium Tremendum its due, well, fair enough. The other possibility is they’ve got another release on the way that hasn’t been announced yet. If that’s so, I’d expect word sooner than later, since we’re already starting to see releases unveiled for October and after that things start to slow down toward the end of the year. Of course, records can happen anytime — right… now! — and my usual disclaimer that I know absolutely nothing definitely applies. Just saying it’s possible.
From Swamp Booking‘s socials:
Conan and Lord Dying will team up for 4 weeks around Europe to present their new albums.
CONAN have toured Worldwide to deliver heavy riffs . After returning to the USA in spring 23, they will finally tour Europe this fall to present their 6 th album EVIDENCE OF IMMORTALITY.
LORD DYING from the USA to grim and to crush your venues with heaviness and relentless, fuzz filled riffage.
11/10/2023 CZ Brno Fleda 12/10/2023 AT Linz Kapu 13/10/2023 CH Düdingen Bad Bonn 14/10/2023 CH Martigny Les Caves du Manoir 15/10/2023 IT Bologna Freakout Club 16/10/2023 SL Ljubljana Orto Bar 17/10/2023 HU Budapest Dürer Kert 18/10/2023 AT Vienna Arena 19/10/2023 PL Poznan Pod Minoga 20/10/2023 DE Dresden Chemiefabrik 21/10/2023 DK Copenhagen Råhuset (Only Lord Dying) 22/10/2023 NO Oslo Revolver 23/10/2023 SW Gothenburg The Abyss 25/10/2023 DE Hamburg Bahnhof Pauli 26/10/2023 DE Berlin Reset 27/10/2023 DE Hannover Cafe Glocksee 28/10/2023 NL Maastricht Samhain Festival 29/10/2023 BE Ghent Chinastraat 30/10/2023 DE Leipzig UT Connewitz 31/10/2023 DE Wiesbaden Schlachthof 01/11/2023 FR Dijon Les Tanneries 02/11/2023 SP Barcelona Salamandra 03/11/2023 SP Vitoria Jimmy Jazz 04/11/2023 FR Toulouse Connexion Live 05/11/2023 FR Colmar Le Grillen 06/11/2023 DE Munich Feierwerk
CONAN is: Jon Davis – Guitar, Vocals Chris Fielding – Bass Johnny King – Drums
LORD DYING: Chris Evans – Guitar Erik Olson – Guitar, Vocals Alyssa Maucere – Bass Kevin Swartz – Drums
Posted in Whathaveyou on June 20th, 2023 by JJ Koczan
Add Icelandic heavy rockers The Vintage Caravan to your list of who’s on the road in Europe this Fall, and if you’re noticing that last growing increasingly crowded, I don’t think that’s wrong. The rightly venerated Reykjavik trio toured last year in support of their Spring 2021 album, Monuments (review here), and they’ll head out again in the coming months, keeping company on part of the run with countrymen Volcanova. That too is consistent with their 2022 tour, hence the sequelish nomenclature around the upcoming run, the still-mostly-young band having established themselves as ambassadors of Iceland’s surprisingly crowded and varied underground scene.
Tour starts at Desertfest Belgium in Antwerp on Oct. 21, ends at Westill Fest in France on Nov 18, and has plenty of stops in between. Here’s the rundown:
(#128293#)Europe! (#128293#) We’re super excited to announce that we’ll be hitting the road again in October and November! Check out the dates below carefully as in some of these cities we’ll be headlining for the very time ever! You can expect a long The Vintage Caravan show and who knows we might bring something special, so stay tuned for more news! ⚠️ Get your tickets here (#128073#) www.thevintagecaravan.eu
Very happy to have our dear friends of Volcanova again with us at some of the shows!
21/10 BE – Antwerp, Desertfest 23/10 CH – Aarau, KIFF 25/10 NL – Alkmaar, Victorie 26/10 DE – Bremen, Tower 27/10 NL – Helmond, De Cacaofabriek 28/10 NL – Drachten – Iduna 29/10 DE – Hannover, Béi Chéz Heinz 31/10 DE – Dresden, Club Puschkin 02/11 PL – Gdansk, Drizzly Grizzly 03/11 PL – Warsaw, Hydrozagadka 04/11 SK – Kosice, Colosseum 05/11 HU – Budapest, Analog Music Hall 07/11 HR – Zagreb, Vintage Industrial Bar 08/11 AT – Vienna, Arena 09/11 DE – Augsburg, Kantine 10/11 AT – Lustenau, Carini Saal 11/11 DE – Frankfurt, Nachtleben 13/11 DE – Stuttgart, Im Wizemann Club 14/11 DE – Dortmund, FZW Club 15/11 FR – Strasbourg, La Laiterie 17/11 FR – Marseille, Molotov 18/11 FR – Vallet, Westill Fest
THE VINTAGE CARAVAN is: Óskar Logi Ágústsson – lead vocals, electric guitar Alexander Örn Númason – bass guitar, backing vocals Stefán Ari Stefánsson – drums, percussion
