I guess you could call this a label showcase night, if you really had to, but I feel like if Exile on Mainstream is calling it a festival, I’m inclined to follow their lead. Doing such has never, not once, steered me wrong in terms of listening to a thing, and if it seems strange that the German label would put on a one-dayer in London, well, Lay Bare Recordings from the Netherlands did the same thing last Fall. You can do things not in the place you’re from. It’s called traveling.

I don’t really know Endure or Bulbul (the latter have been around long enough that I should), but again, there are precious few imprints who engender such blind trust; cannot tell you how many times the phrase, “Well, if it’s good enough for Andreas…” has run through my mind. And between these and Might, Confusion Master and Noisepicker, it’s about as solid a sampling as you’re going to get from Exile on Mainstream without involving Conny Ochs, who, it should be noted, will join Might and Jacke Schwarz for the two-day Bliss Mountain happening in August, also put together by the label.

The PR wire has particulars here:

LOVE.NOISE.FREEDOM FESTIVAL: Exile On Mainstream Records Presents Maiden UK Installment Of Curated Label Event In London September 19th

On September 19th, the LOVE.NOISE.FREEDOM FESTIVAL lands in the UK for the very first time, featuring sets from Might, Bulbul, Confusion Master, Noisepicker, and Endure.

LOVE.NOISE.FREEDOM, the beating heart behind every gathering curated by Exile On Mainstream has always been a statement. A celebration of heavy music, stubborn independence, and the deep bonds that hold this scene together. And now, that legendary, road-worn, heart-driven vibe finally takes over Downstairs at the Dome in London for one intense, unifying day. This is not a random lineup. This is family.

Might brings their uncompromising blend of crushing heaviness and raw melody — a band forged in volume and conviction, known for turning every stage into a cathartic release. Their sound balances massive riffs with emotional weight, the kind that lingers long after the amps cool down. Their sound is massive, yes — towering riffs and crushing low end — but beneath the volume lies vulnerability. When they hit, it feels like standing in a storm that somehow holds you upright.

Bulbul, underground lifers from Austria, have built their legacy the hard way — through decades of stubborn independence and fearless experimentation. Hypnotic, abrasive, uncompromising, they prove that repetition can become ritual, and noise can become transcendence. They are a reminder that art survives because people refuse to let it die.

With sparse need for words, Confusion Master speaks through colossal instrumental passages that blur the line between doom, sludge and psychedelic drift. Their music feels like a slow-burning horizon — meditative, heavy, and deeply human. It’s the sound of patience meeting power.

UK powerhouse Noisepicker brings grit, groove and heart. Road-worn, hook-laden, and unapologetically loud, they channel the raw pulse of heavy rock ’n’ roll into something immediate and communal. Sweat on the walls. Smiles in the crowd. Riffs that feel like old friends.

And then there’s Endure – a new chapter written by members of Hands Of Omega. Born from experience, loss, growth and persistence, Endure embodies an evolving spirit: heavy, honest, and driven by connection.

LOVE.NOISE.FREEDOM isn’t about hype. It’s about shared vans, shared stages, shared stories. It’s about a label that built its reputation on loyalty and artistic freedom, finally bringing its community across the Channel. This is about showing up. For the music. For each other. For the idea that independent art still matters — not as nostalgia, but as necessity. One day. One stage. One circle of trust. A gathering.

London, get ready to feel what Exile On Mainstream has always stood for: LOVE. NOISE. FREEDOM.

Tickets for LOVE.NOISE.FREEDOM FESTIVAL are available RIGHT HERE: https://domelondon.seetickets.com/event/love-noise-freedom-festival/the-dome/3605232

and more info is posted HERE: https://southofmainstream.de/

Exile On Mainstream Presents:
LOVE.NOISE.FREEDOM FESTIVAL
w/ Might, Bulbul, Confusion Master, Endure, Noisepicker
9/19/2026 Downstairs At The Dome – London, UK

Event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1819533262095073/

https://www.mainstreamrecords.de
https://www.youtube.com/@exileonmainstream3639
https://www.instagram.com/exileonmainstream_official

Might, Abyss (2022)

UK heavy weirdo noise rock two-piece Noisepicker will put out their second album, The Earth Will Swallow the Sun, on March 21 through respected purveyor Exile on Mainstream. Aside from working with the label on the release, the band are pointedly DIY, as drummer Kieran Murphy and guitarist/vocalist Harry Armstrong — whose pedigree in Hangnail and End of Level Boss would be plenty even if he wasn’t also now a member of Orange Goblin — further demonstrate with the video premiering below for the album’s second single, “Chew.”

Second single and second track. In the album’s succession and in making its way to public ears, “Chew” follows behind “What You Deserve” in showcasing where The Earth Will Swallow the Sun is coming from. And where “What You Deserve” starts with an almost Steve Von Till-style throaty drawl ‘n’ drone before opening up to its bigger nod and answering the atmospheric tension in tonal spaciousness. It’s a slow roller on the surface, and with Armstrong‘s vocal delivery and the corresponding hum, it feels as much like a setup for what’s to follow throughout the 10-tracker as its own piece.

“Chew” reinforces that idea. With a sound that’s almost as ’90s noise rock as the band’s logo treatment on the front cover, the three-minute cut rides in on a harsher/harder tonalism and crunching groove. Melvins are an immediate touchstone in terms of sound, but “Chew” has a bit of reach in its chorus and is more about craft than its own weirder facets. The melody in the hook reaches up from deep in the mix with Facelift-era Alice in Chains desperation, and the shifts between the verse and chorus hint in sound toward the punkish ideology driving the shove. As songs go, it’s in and out, and surely “Tomorrow Lied the Devil,” which follows on the LP, will reap the benefit of the momentum it quickly and unpretentiously builds.

Sans-bullshit heavy crunch? With a chorus? I know; be still my beating heart. I haven’t heard all of The Earth Will Swallow the Sun at this point, and given the swath of ground they covered on 2018’s Peace Off, their first LP, I’m not about to speculate on sonic particulars or whims being chased. Fine. For today, take three minutes out of your life and appreciate a bit of puppetry and deceptively nuanced stylistic quirk.

Armstrong was kind enough to give some comment on the song and video, and the info for the record follows, as per the PR wire.

Please enjoy:

Noisepicker, “Chew” video premiere

Harry Armstrong on “Chew”:

The two of us live on opposite sides of the country, which makes getting together tricky at times. To the point where we never rehearse. Apart from two songs, we had only played the entire new album together when we entered the studio to record it. And those two tracks were only ever played during soundcheck, an hour before we played them live. Which probably explains a lot! This means we need to be “inventive” when thinking about videos, basically making sure that we are not the main focus of them. We grab footage of each other when we can and store it up in case it’s needed. That’s where the puppet idea came from. I couldn’t get both of us in the same room, so I had to improvise. I think it actually makes for a better video! The song is about hating what you’ve become after chasing the expectations of an unfulfilling society, and only realizing you’ve been had when it’s far too late. You’ve been played. Like a puppet on a string. Enjoy!

British avant doom/post-rock duo NOISEPICKER prepares to release their second album, The Earth Will Swallow The Sun, March 21st via Exile On Mainstream Records.

With more than a quarter of a century of noise making history behind him, singer and guitarist Harry Armstrong returns. Known as the current bass player in Orange Goblin, Armstrong has been a part of delivering the hard rock of Blind River, the sludgy thrash metal of End Of Level Boss, the piano-led jazz rock of The Earls Of Mars, the stoner fix of Hangnail and alongside Bill Steer and Ludwig Witt in Firebird, the instrumental soundscapes of The Winchester Club, the death metal of Decomposed, and many others. Armstrong, alongside drummer Kieran Murphy, are NOISEPICKER.

Having released their first album, Peace Off, through Exile On Mainstream in 2018, other commitments (and the dreaded COVID-19 shutdown) put NOISEPICKER on a slight hiatus, until a stash of unused riff ideas were dusted off during 2024 to make what is about to be their second full-length release, The Earth Will Swallow The Sun. On a permanent search to constantly try “something else,” Armstrong has taken to writing, recording, and mixing this new record himself, just to see if he could accomplish the task. Recorded in a rehearsal room and mixed in his kitchen – assisted only in the mastering, which was handled by Stefan Brüggemann – it is an approach to music with a DIY ethic fully embedded in its heart.

Do not expect neat, polished, note perfect, carefully constructed opuses in this environment. NOISEPICKER is loud, abrasive, and in constant flux, influenced by their love of all things doom, punk, and blues. Come stare aghast at it.

Exile On Mainstream will release The Earth Will Swallow The Sun March 21st, digitally and on audiophile virgin Black Vinyl LP with a bundled CD.

Find physical preorders at the label webshop HERE: https://shop.mainstreamrecords.de/product/eom115

Digital preorders at Bandcamp HERE: https://noisepicker.bandcamp.com/

And digital presaves HERE: https://fm.cargo-records.de/noisepicker-theearthwillswallowthesun

The Earth Will Swallow The Sun Track Listing:
1. What You Deserve
2. Chew
3. Tomorrow Lied The Devil
4. Leave Me The Name
5. What Did You Think Was Going To Happen
6. The End Of The Beginning
7. Start The Flood
8. The Earth Will Swallow The Sun
9. Lorraine In Blood
10. Lunatics

All words & music by Noisepicker. Recorded and mixed by Noisepicker.

Band photo by Jerry Deeney.

Noisepicker, The Earth Will Swallow the Sun (2025)

Noisepicker website

Noisepicker on Bandcamp

Noisepicker on Facebook

Noisepicker on Instagram

Exile on Mainstream Records website

Exile on Mainstream Records on YouTube

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

Full line-up
SUICIDAL TENDENCIES | MASTERS OF REALITY | GODFLESH | OZRIC TENTACLES BONGRIPPER | MONOLORD | ACID KING | UFOMAMMUT | COLOUR HAZE | BRANT BJORK TRIO | MASERATI | MANTAR | MONDO GENERATOR | CLOAKROOM | MONKEY3 | FRANKIE & THE WITCH FINGERS | NIGHTSTALKER | BLANKET | BAT SABBATH | DVNE | PEST CONTROL | RAGING SPEEDHORN | ASHENSPIRE | DOMKRAFT | ASTROQUEEN | PIJN | SUNNATA | BRUM | WAKE | KAL-EL | ALBER JUPITER | SUGAR HORSE | STINKING LIZAVETA | WET CACTUS | PSYCHLONA | MORAG TONG | KADABRA | BORRACHO | THE GRUDGE | DARSOMBRA | SERGEANT THUNDERHOOF | GRAMMA VEDETTA | SAINT KARLOFF | LODESTAR | LORD ELEPHANT | GOZER | ACID THRONE | KULK | EARTH TONGUE | DUSKWOOD| GOBLINSMOKER | SKYPILOT | BOREHEAD | ORME | WOLFSHEAD | CLOUDS TASTE SATANIC | WEEDSNAKE | NOISEPICKER | ORSAK:OSLO | WAXY | HORNDAL | SILVERBURN | FIRES IN THE DISTANCE | SLEEMO | SAGAN | MIDWICH CUCKOOS | AKERSBORG | WARPSTORMER | GRAND ATOMIC | VOID LURKER | UNDER THE ASHES | SONIC TABOO | WIZDOOM | FUZ CALDRIN

DAY / STAGE SPLITS FOR DESERTFEST LONDON 2024

Friday 17th May
Electric Ballroom
MASTERS OF REALITY
COLOUR HAZE
BRANT BJORK
MONDO GENERATOR
FRANKIE & THE WITCH FINGERS

Underworld
MANTAR
RAGING SPEEDHORN
WAKE
WEEDSNAKE
GRAND ATOMIC

Dingwalls
CLOAKROOM
BLANKET
SUGAR HORSE
PIJN
SLEEMO

Black Heart
BRUME
ALBER JUPITER
CLOUDS TASTE SATANIC
ORSAK:OSLO
SAGAN
BOREHEAD

The Dev
GOBLINSMOKER
WARPSTORMER
WOLFSHEAD
VOIDLURKER
AKERSBORG

Saturday May 18th
Roundhouse
SUICIDAL TENDENCIES
CANCER BATS
BONGRIPPER
ACID KING
PEST CONTROL

Underworld
MASERATI
MONKEY3
DOMKRAFT
SUNNATA
SERGEANT THUNDERHOOF
KAL-EL

Black Heart
WET CACTUS
DUSKWOOD
EARTH TONGUE
SAINT KARLOFF
LORD ELEPHANT
SONIC TABOO

The Dev
ACID THRONE
HORNDAL
UNDER THE ASHES
FIRES IN THE DISTANCE
WIZDOOM

Sunday May 19th
Electric Ballroom
GODFLESH
OZRIC TENTACLES
MONOLORD
UFOMAMMUT
ASHENSPHIRE

The Underworld
BAT SABBATH (after-party)
NIGHTSTALKER
ASTROQUEEN
PSYCHLONA
BORRACHO
KADABARA
NOISEPECKER

Dingwalls
DVNE
MORAG TONG
KULK
LODESTAR
SILVERBURN

Black Heart
STINKING LIZAVETA
DARSOMBRA
GOZER
SKYPILOT
ORME
GOAT MAJOR

The Dev
THE GRUDGE
GRAMMA VEDETTA
WAXY
MIDWICH CUCKOOS
FUZ CALDRIN

TICKETS ON SALE – www.desertfest.co.uk

http://www.desertscene.co.uk/support
https://www.facebook.com/DesertfestLondon
https://www.instagram.com/desertfest_london/
https://www.desertfest.co.uk/

Monkey3, “Collision” visualizer

A return appearance from Crippled Black Phoenix seemed like asking a lot. A return appearance from LOOP seemed unrealistic. A complete showcase from Exile on Mainstream? Well now that’s just silly. But silly’s how it goes for Roadburn, which in 2019 will apparently continue to exist on a plane all its own, much to the general betterment of humanity. I’ll happily take the chance to see Emma Ruth Rundle and Sherpa and to get exposed to Cave, who sound so much up my alley that I’m kind of embarrassed I’ve never heard them before. Plus underrated sludgesters Treedeon and you know, Sumac, because Aaron Turner hasn’t curated a Roadburn yet and we might as well build up to that seeming inevitability with an unofficial kind of residency, and Young Widows and enough others that I forgot what the point of this sentence was when I started out and it doesn’t even matter because the lineup is so staggeringly incredible.

Fuck it. Dive in:

More additions for Roadburn 2019, including curated acts; day tickets on sale in December

TOMAS LINDBERG chooses LOOP and SLÆGT for his curated event
SUMAC to perform
YOUNG WIDOWS to play Old Wounds in full
Return performances for CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX and EMMA RUTH RUNDLE

TOMAS LINDBERG’S THE BURNING DARKNESS

LOOP
LOOP are no strangers to Roadburn – they headlined the 2014 edition of the festival. The psych titans split in 1991, reforming in 2013 and cementing themselves as legends of the scene – and amongst other activities, brought their glorious technicolour to the Roadburn stage. We’re thrilled to welcome them back for a special, one off show as part of Tomas Lindberg’s curated event, The Burning Darkness.
Lindberg comments: “I expect to see you all in the front row for this one. I have goosebumps already.”

SLÆGT
As the frontman for At The Gates, we know Tomas is something of an extreme metal connoisseur. He’s flexing that muscle with his latest addition to the line up, which comes in the shape of SLÆGT. Tomas explains:
“When I think of heavy metal, there is a certain feeling I am after. A special haunting, emotional impact that I’m seeking. I will always be super excited when I get that same feeling that was there when I first got into underground metal. SLÆGT is one of those rare examples.”

SUMAC
Aaron Turner is not a man who likes to sit still. When he realised that he would technically have a day off at Roadburn, his brain started to click and whirr. And soon enough we had SUMAC on the bill.

When Love In Shadow landed in September, it was a swift reminder not to assume you know all there is to know about a band. Turner has promised us something special at Roadburn: a titillating promise. But we can’t help but feel that any SUMAC experience is going to be a special SUMAC experience – and surely better than a day off.

YOUNG WIDOWS
If it’s true that absence makes the heart grow fonder, it doesn’t discount the fact that the occasional tease of a live show can still be pure agony, especially when Europe has historically been somewhat starved of YOUNG WIDOWS. So it’s with something akin to relief mixed with pure joy that we announce YOUNG WIDOWS’ performance at Roadburn 2019. For fans of their 2008 release, Old Wounds, the treat is two-fold; the band will be playing the album in full for us!

CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX
Following their mind-warping set on Roadburn’s main stage in 2017, we welcome back the progressive darkness of CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX. In the band’s decade and a half career, they have released an incredible ten studio records, the latest of which Great Escape is a powerful, treacherous exploration into a the bleakest realms of Justin Greaves’ psyche. A CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX performance is the sound of a band following their own path, their own rules, for their own enjoyment. And ours.

CAVE
Channeling Krautrock staples like Can and Neu! with Miles Davis/Funkadelic style funk, CAVE offers an instrumental galaxy of hypnotic jams. It’s the band’s groove-heavy – yet loose – approach which gives way to an intricate backdrop for these spontaneous explorations; from fuzzy leads to free jazz fusion, from prog to psychedelic library music, from subtle funk to South American delights.

EMMA RUTH RUNDLE
Emma Ruth Rundle made such a mark on Roadburn 2017, we’re overjoyed to have her back for 2019 – and we expect the results to be just as powerful and mesmerising as the first time around.
Her first solo performance at the festival was a pivotal moment for us. Not only did it mark a definitive turning point for the artistic scope of the festival, it was also the moment that we adopted Emma as one of our own. A kindred spirit, a sonic explorer, a soul sister.

LINGUA IGNOTA
Boldly straddling the classical music world and the often hellish soundscapes of harsh noise, LINGUA IGNOTA plucks what she wants from both – and elsewhere – to form a towering inferno of raging fury, manifesting as sonic indignation. The challenge of a visceral and abrasive show is one that we relish. If you’re looking for an experience, something that that burrows into your consciousness and niggles at you for months to come, sign up now. LINGUA IGNOTA will deliver a masterclass.

EXILE ON MAINSTREAM X ROADBURN
EXILE ON MAINSTREAM Records is celebrating twenty years of existence with us at Roadburn 2019. The iconic label has released almost 90 records over the past two decades.The label’s history is somewhat entwined with our own; in fact they celebrated their 15th birthday with us too! We guess we make good cake!
The label will commandeer the Hall of Fame venue on Saturday, 13 April and the following bands will perform:
OSTINATO
NOISEPICKER
CONNY OCHS
TREEDEON
BELLROPE
CONFUSION MASTER

ALSO CONFIRMED:
FEAR FALLS BURNING will see Dirk Serries performing an exercise in minimalism
JAYE JAYLE will reprise their 2017 performance – in the more spacious Green Room
OVTRENOIR will deliver a dose of sludgy post-metal
SHERPA will perform Tigris & Euphrates in full
SOFT KILL will perform both Savior and Heresy in full
THROANE offer a cold and violent take on modern black metal
TREHA SEKTORI will bring an innovative and immersive take on dark ambient sound

TICKETS:
Single day tickets will go on sale on Thursday, December 13. Weekend tickets are on sale now

Tickets are be priced as follows:
3 days ticket (Thu-Sat) €181 + €4,50 service fee
4 days ticket (Thu-Sun) €204 + €4,50 service fee
Day ticket (Thu, Fri or Sat) €62 + €4,50 service fee
Sunday ticket €55,50 + €4,50 service fee

Click here for more ticketing information.

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http://www.roadburn.com

Roadburn 2019 November announcement video