Posted in Whathaveyou on September 1st, 2025 by JJ Koczan
Below you’ll find the final announcement from this year’s Høstsabbat in Oslo. The full lineup isn’t below, which includes the likes of YOB, Gnome, Ahab, Domkraft and Hippotraktor, among others on a cross-genre bill that’s only bolstered by LLNN, Kanaan og Ævestaden, Redwood Temple and the others listed here. It’s funny because when they say below that, watching LLNN, “your spine and your knees will have trouble standing upright through this set,” they mean it because the band are so oppressively heavy — fair enough; they are that — but I first read and just thought they were saying you’re old. And again, fair enough; I am that.
This festival has a life and a persona of its own at this point and I’m lucky to have been a handful of times and attended its Springtime sister fest — Desertfest Oslo — earlier this year. If you get to attend Høstsabbat in October and you’ve never been, just know you’re in for something special.
From socials:
⛪️LAST BAND ANNOUNCEMENT⛪️
Autumn is growing near and the church bells will soon ring for the sabbath to commence! We’re super stoked and proud to announce the last batch of bands for this year’s festival.
🪦 𝕷𝕷𝕹𝕹 If you mix an 80s space-horror movie soundtrack, with crushing hardcore vocals, and a thundering omnipresent bass, rumbling through your very human core, you get something close to LLNN. Your spine and knees will have trouble standing upright through this set.
🪦 𝕯𝖆𝖚𝖋ø𝖉𝖙 Experimental noise and punk outfit, with extra weight on mental. Daufødt always delivers extraordinary live shows, with frontwoman Annika never holding back.
🪦 𝕶𝖆𝖓𝖆𝖆𝖓 𝖔𝖌 𝕬𝕰𝖛𝖊𝖘𝖙𝖆𝖉𝖊𝖓 When psych-rock and jazz collides with wooly sweaters, fiddles and Norwegian cultural historic aesthetics, you get something like this. A cozy, soulful, one-of-a-kind musical phenomenon.
🪦 𝕾:𝖙 𝕰𝖗𝖎𝖐 The angst driven psychedelic doom outfit from Uppsala has risen from the permafrost to perform their swan songs echoing from the brink of outer space!
🪦 𝕭𝖑𝖔𝖉𝖐𝖛𝖆𝖑𝖙 Raw, primal and loud. Blodkvalt mixes all things extreme, from the shrill piercing vocals, to the tenacious and intense wall of musical prowess.
🪦 𝕽𝖊𝖉𝖜𝖔𝖔𝖉 𝕿𝖊𝖒𝖕𝖑𝖊 Dynamic, raw, and sludgy. Having re-invented their sound, and come out harder, faster and punchier, the Temple is now filled with relentless, in-your-face metal!
🪦 𝖄𝖛𝖗𝖎𝖘 New outfit Yvris, brings their chugging, dark and melancholic take on humanity’s decay. Expect harsh vocals tied together by a gnarly band with sludge flair.
🪦 𝕹𝖆𝖌𝖎𝖗č𝖆𝖑𝖒𝖒𝖎𝖎𝖉 An exceptionally hard duo, delving into the Sámi religious and shamanistic themes, dragging us down to the abyss that is Rohttuáibmu, Rohttu’s kingdom of death and sickness.
The fact of the matter is there aren’t a lot of bands out there right now in the heavy rock underground who could or would inspire this kind of creativity. “Monomann” featured on Slomosa‘s 2024 sophomore LP, Tundra Rock (review here), and the animatic below is by director Frank Marino, who’s had an enviable career in animation — bro worked in Curious George and Futurama both! — and fueled by nothing more than his passion for the music. Which is amazing. Thank you for sharing.
You can tell he’s a fan watching, whether it’s a subtle reference to Fu Manchu or the careful, slightly down-tilted angle drummer Jard Hole holds his head. This video is an animatic, which is why it looks choppier than flash animation from 2003 — not that I was looking at Homestar Runner memes yesterday or anything, but if you’re of a certain age, you’ll have an easier time piecing the frames together in your head — but all drawn out by Marino and manifesting the vision for a story he wanted to tell about the band.
I’ll say it again for emphasis — this is rare. Not that there isn’t ‘fan art’ out there, but not at this level, and not with the obvious dedication to the purpose that Marino put into making this “Monomann” clip, even to this point, let alone a finished work of animation to come from what he’s already got. It’s something pretty special.
Slomosa are at SonicBlast Fest in Portugal this weekend and on from there with their doing-a-professional-album-cycle touring with an expanding reach. Many, many dates follow the video clip below, as seen on social media. Underneath that are the album stream for Tundra Rock and the full ‘Live at Verftet’ set that was recently posted, in case you’d like to make an afternoon of it. You wouldn’t be wrong.
Enjoy:
Slomosa, “Monomann” animatic video
Director Frank Marino on “Monomann”:
Celebrating the fantastic music by Norway’s Slomosa and showcasing the imagination of a lifelong artist and career Animation Director. This is an animatic, meaning it’s an edited storyboard with lots of poses, but not fully animated. This is a personal project that I worked on for nearly a full year on the side whenever I could. A true labor of love started as an effort to display a fuller range of my creative abilities beyond those listed on my IMDB page. Though I am super proud of those credits, including Futurama, Transformers, Curious George, Disenchantment and Supervising Director of all three seasons of FOX’s Duncanville. All of the art is mine and I put everything I had into it. I used Toonboom Storyboard Pro, which is widely used in the animation industry.
Slomosa’s Tundra Rock was my favorite album of 2024 and you should all go listen to it if you haven’t yet! I’m happy to share this original short story with everyone, especially fans of the Desert/ Stoner Rock genre. It’s my love letter to the music that has always been a part of my artistic journey. Be on the lookout for nods to a few of my personal favorites.
SLOMOSA 2025 Touring Schedule 07 Aug – Sonic Blast (PT) + 08 Aug – Alcatraz (BE) + 10 Aug – Rocklette (CH) + 12 Aug – Cologne, DE • Carlswerk Victoria x 13 Aug – Frankfurt, DE • Batschkapp x 15 Aug – Alta Live (NO) + 22 Aug – Vangen Festival (NO) + 24 Aug – Furiosfest (FR) + 12 Sep – TK Deathfest (NO) + 20 Sep – Høst Rock (NO)+ 02 Oct – Florø, NO • Vesle Kinn 04 Oct – Tundra & Lightning Fest (NO) + 09 Oct – Krakow, PL • Klub Kwadrat ^ 10 Oct – Warszawa, PL • Niebo ^ 11 Oct – Berlin, DE • Columbiahalle ^ 12 Oct – Frankfurt, DE • Zoom ^ 13 Oct – Lille, FR • L’AÉronef ^ 15 Oct – Bordeaux, FR • Rock School Barbey ^ 16 Oct – Madrid, ES • Mon Madrid ^ 17 Oct – Barcelona, ES • Sala Apolo ^ 18 Oct – Lyon, FR • Le Transbordeur ^ 19 Oct – Paris, FR • L’Élysée Montmartre^ 21 Oct – Stuttgart, DE • Im Wizemann ^ 22 Oct – Salzhaus, CH • Winterthur ^ 23 Oct – Vienna, AT • ARENA ^ 24 Oct – München, DE • Theaterfabrik ^ 25 Oct – Leipzig, DE • Felsenkeller ^ 26 Oct – Hamburg, DE • GF36 ^ 28 Oct – Köln, DE • Live Music Hall ^ 29 Oct – Groningen, NL • De Oosterpoort ^ 30 Oct – Nijmegen, NL • Doomroosje ^ 31 Oct – Utrecht, NL • Tivolivredenburg ^ 01 Nov – Antwerp, BE • Trix ^ 04 Nov – Copenhagen, DK • Vega 05 Nov – Malmö, SE • Plan B (Garage Stage) 06 Nov – Göteborg, SE • Monument 031 07 Nov – Stockholm, SE • Bar Brooklyn 08 Nov – Borlänge, SE • Broken Dreams* 05 Dec – Stavanger, NO • Folken 06 Dec – Kristiansand, NO • Kick Kulturhus 11 Dec – Trondheim, NO • Byscenen 12 Dec -Bodø, NO • Sinus 13 Dec – Mo I Rana, NO • Bråk 17 Dec – Lillehammer, NO • Wiese 18 Dec – Oslo, NO • Rockefeller 19 Dec – Moss, NO • Verket Scene 20 Dec – Skien, NO • Parkbiografen
+Festival ^Support For Kadavar *With Greenleaf & Lowrider xSupporting Mastodon
Slomosa features: Ben Berdous – vocals/guitar Marie Moe – vocals/bass Tor Erik Bye – guitar Jard Hole – drums
Posted in Whathaveyou on August 5th, 2025 by JJ Koczan
Trondheim, Norway’s White Tundra ingratiated themselves with their 2023 self-titled debut (review here), fostering a sound that reached into heavy progressivism without being subsumed by the modernity of it all when it came to digging in on a densely-toned groove. Their second album, it just so happens, is being worked on now — right now, while we speak, no matter what time it is where you live — and will see release through Argonauta Records‘ imprint Octopus Rising, the roster of which continues to expand.
As to when that might happen, let’s presume they want to finish the LP before they put it out, so maybe 2026? I’ll pencil them into the notes for next year and keep an eye to see if maybe they want to be clever and sneak it out in December or somesuch. You never know with these things.
Words from the PR wire in blue:
Mystic Norwegian rockers WHITE TUNDRA join forces with Octopus Rising / Argonauta Records
We are proud to welcome WHITE TUNDRA to the Octopus Rising / Argonauta Records family. These visionary heavy voyagers channel the raw power of nature into their music, blending crushing riffs, groovy rhythms and a deep atmospheric sensibility.
Emerging from the northern marshes, WHITE TUNDRA creates sonic journeys that drift across icy tundras and into shadowy forests. Their sound is a thrilling mix of 70s heavy rock and 90s stoner vibes, enriched by elements of doom, black metal and Nordic folklore. With influences ranging from Red Fang to Witchcraft and Skraeckoedlan, they deliver a truly unique and heavy experience.
After making waves with their self-titled debut album in 2023, which earned a place on the Doom Charts and widespread praise throughout the underground scene, WHITE TUNDRA are now back in the studio. The band is currently working on their second full-length album at AutumnSongs Recording Studio, with producer Rhys Marsh behind the console.
The band states, “We’re stoked to be part of the Octopus Rising / Argonauta Records family. This partnership marks a new chapter for WHITE TUNDRA and we’re excited to share the powerful new material we’ve been creating.”
Formed in 2018, WHITE TUNDRA has already released a 7-inch single, an EP, and a debut album through the local label All Good Clean Records. With a solid and inspired lineup now in place, they are ready to reach new heights and captivate a wider audience.
Stay tuned for more news, sneak peeks and upcoming live shows.
Line-up Steven Kresin – Guitar and vocals Kjell Andres Nilsen – Lead guitar and vocals Øyvind Persvik – Bass Ola Fuglevaag – Drums
Posted in Whathaveyou on July 22nd, 2025 by JJ Koczan
On Aug. 8, just one day before they appear in the UK at Bloodstock Open Air, Norway’s Zebulon will release “Reap the Fruits of Famine” as the first single from their upcoming, Apollon Records-delivered full-length, the title of which has yet to be revealed. Presumably those details will come with the single’s release, but I guess it depends on the timing. The song in question is called “Reap the Fruits of Famine” and it’s an aggressive take emphasizing both sides of the ‘doom’ and ‘metal’ equation in doom metal. If you’d like a preview, the five-piece’s 2024 two-tracker, Desolation I, is streaming below.
With that, you get two tracks of majestic doom methodology that’s pretty in line with the new single to come, or at very least enough to give you a general idea of where Zebulon are coming from. If you’ll be at Bloodstock, I’m sure your days will be busy enough, but something to keep in mind, and one to watch for as Norway’s stylistically diverse underground continues its rise to prominence in Europe. If you know some of the prog that Apollon Records champions, the vibe here is different, but a commitment to craft should feel plenty familiar.
From the PR wire:
New Apollon signing Zebulon from Rogaland ( Norway) releases first single from upcoming debut album!
Zebulon is Doomy heavy metal from the southwest coast of Norway. Playing at Bloodstock ( UK) Open Air 2025 on the 9th of August.
Zebulon’s debut album delivers slow-burning doom with crushing riffs, dramatic vocals, and haunting melodies. The material explores themes of judgement and faith. Recorded in winter 2025.
Recorded at Katamaran Lydstudio. Engineered by Tollak Kalvatn Friestad Mixed by Iver Sandøy in Solslottet Studio Mastered by Dag Erik Nygaard, Bergen Lydstudio
Posted in Whathaveyou on July 18th, 2025 by JJ Koczan
I’ll admit, I started to get suspicious last year and earlier this year when Norway’s The Devil and the Almighty Blues started getting announced for fests after a few years of relative inactivity. In 2025, so far they’ve toured in May and played Desertfest London and Desertfest Berlin, Sonic Whip, Freak Valley (review here), in addition to being confirmed for Planet Desert Rock Weekend VI in Las Vegas next January.
The latter especially can be seen in a new light as a result of their signing with California’s Ripple Music, as surely the signing will be a thing to celebrate, but with word of a new record to come at the start of 2026 — if not earlier — the context of that celebration widens even further. The last The Devil and the Almighty Blues album was 2019’s still-definitely-got-it Tre (review here), and it continued the band’s moody, atmospheric and heavy take on the blues of their moniker, swinging and swaggering to be sure, but avoidant of the hyper-dudely chestbeating that far too often comes with blues-based anything. These guys nestle into a groove like nobody else. It’s like they were born in the pocket. With stage presence and songs besides, they remain one of the Euro underground’s well-kept secrets. For now.
Look for “new music and reissues,” which probably means Ripple will stand behind editions of at least the first two The Devil and the Almighty Blues records, 2017’s II (review here) and their 2015 self-titled debut (review here), if not all three, and put out the band’s fourth record that’s I-don’t-kn0w-where in terms of the writing/recording/manufacturing process.
Let’s start the morning off with a bang, shall we. Please welcome to the Ripple Family … The Devil and the Almighty Blues ! Arnt Andersen and I have been plotting both new music and reissues. Look for the first of the new releases to make its debut when the band comes to America to storm the stage of Planet Desert Rock Weekend down in Vegas . Shall also be the album release party. Stay tuned for more details.
We’re past the days of bands putting out home videos, at least generally speaking. I’m sure somebody out there is still doing concert blu rays or DVDs — hell, somebody has a new VHS on the way right now; it’s a big world full of people into hyper-specific shit — but clearly the moment, which was probably about 25 years ago at this point, has passed. Still, looking at the full-set, 82-minute clip of Norwegian heavy rock forerunners Slomosa playing last December for a crowd of 1,300 people in their hometown of Bergen, there’s a documentary aspect. 10 years from now, with however much more behind them, both Slomosa‘s fans and the band themselves are going to be really glad this video exists to preserve this time.
No question Slomosa have made the first half of the 2020s — bumpy as it’s been — their own. Like Slift and a few others, they emerged from out of the covid fog with clear, fresh intention toward genre, and their takeover of the underground that began with their 2020 self-titled debut (review here) hit a new, this-is-for-real stride with last year’s Tundra Rock (review here), delivered through Stickman Records and MNRK Heavy and widely lauded. It won the year-end poll here handily, for example. And the band has accordingly broadened the scope of their touring radius. They’ve done the US multiple times over by now, been all around Europe, and will spend much of the rest of this year doing fests and club shows throughout the continent while saving a domestic Norwegian run for December as they round out a busy 2025 ahead of a likely-also-busy 2026.
The setlist here encompasses both their albums, and if this was a middle-of-the-night infomercial in 1994, this is the part where I’d say, “You’ll get hits like, ‘Horses,’ ‘Cabin Fever,’ ‘There is Nothing New Under the Sun,’ ‘Battling Guns’ and ‘Monomann'” — the latter of which was on a rad shirt design not too long ago that I tried to buy but it sold out too quickly; alas — as the words scrolled by in block letters on the screen like game show credits. This isn’t 1994 or an infomercial, and at the moment there’s nothing to sell here — a refreshing change, generally speaking — but one does hope the audio from ‘Live at Verftet’ makes its way to a CD/vinyl pressing sooner or later, no less to document the first-two-albums era of Slomosa than to give fans a killer takehome while everybody waits to find out what’s in store from a third studio full-length sometime in the next few years.
I don’t think there’s another new European band who’ve come up in the last half-decade who’ve had the kind of impact Slomosa have, and I expect that the next few years will continue to see their influence spread as they cement their status as headliners. They definitely headlined this show, and playing as a five-piece, they put into emphasis the energy, the songwriting and the fun that they’ve brought to an underground that desperately needed it.
PR wire info follows. Enjoy the clip:
Slomosa, Live at Verftet
Norwegian tundra rock titans Slomosa have dropped a crushing, full-blast concert film capturing the sheer force of their live show. Filmed late last year, the 14-track onslaught is raw, hypnotic, and unrelenting, showcasing the band at their most explosive.
The set was recorded on December 13, 2024, at the iconic USF Verftet in their hometown of Bergen, Norway — a night packed with seismic riffs, pounding rhythm, and crowd-splitting energy.
The band says, “After we had hammered through 84 gigs, it was time to play the last grand finale of 2024; a release gig for ‘Tundra Rock’ at home in Bergen, playing our biggest headline show anywhere till this day. A special and unforgettable December night for us in the band, with 1300 friends and strangers in a packed, sweaty room.”
In April 2025, Slomosa took home the Spellemann Award for Rock Album of the Year for their critically-lauded second album, Tundra Rock, released in September 2024—a towering record that further cemented their status as the new heavyweights of Nordic rock.
The band will return to Bergen’s stage this October 2025, headlining the Tundra & Lightning Festival—a can’t-miss eruption of fuzz, volume, and primal force.
Full setlist of USF Verftet Concert:
Afghansk Rev Cabin Fever Rice Estonia In My Mind’s Desert MJ Psykonaut Battling Guns Red Thundra Monomann There Is Nothing New Under the Sun Horses
Encore: Kevin Scavengers
2025 Touring Schedule 18 Jul – Fjellparkfestivalen (NO) + 25 Jul – Rock Im Wald (DE) + 27 Jul – Blue Moon Festival (DE) + 30 Jul – Rockstadt Extreme Fest (RO) + 07 Aug – Sonic Blast (PT) + 08 Aug – Alcatraz (BE) + 10 Aug – Rocklette (CH) + 12 Aug – Cologne, DE • Carlswerk Victoria x 13 Aug – Frankfurt, DE • Batschkapp x 15 Aug – Alta Live (NO) + 22 Aug – Vangen Festival (NO) + 24 Aug – Furiosfest (FR) + 12 Sep – TK Deathfest (NO) + 20 Sep – Høst Rock (NO)+ 02 Oct – Florø, NO • Vesle Kinn 04 Oct – Tundra & Lightning Fest (NO) + 09 Oct – Krakow, PL • Klub Kwadrat ^ 10 Oct – Warszawa, PL • Niebo ^ 11 Oct – Berlin, DE • Columbiahalle ^ 12 Oct – Frankfurt, DE • Zoom ^ 13 Oct – Lille, FR • L’AÉronef ^ 15 Oct – Bordeaux, FR • Rock School Barbey ^ 16 Oct – Madrid, ES • Mon Madrid ^ 17 Oct – Barcelona, ES • Sala Apolo ^ 18 Oct – Lyon, FR • Le Transbordeur ^ 19 Oct – Paris, FR • L’Élysée Montmartre^ 21 Oct – Stuttgart, DE • Im Wizemann ^ 22 Oct – Salzhaus, CH • Winterthur ^ 23 Oct – Vienna, AT • ARENA ^ 24 Oct – München, DE • Theaterfabrik ^ 25 Oct – Leipzig, DE • Felsenkeller ^ 26 Oct – Hamburg, DE • GF36 ^ 28 Oct – Köln, DE • Live Music Hall ^ 29 Oct – Groningen, NL • De Oosterpoort ^ 30 Oct – Nijmegen, NL • Doomroosje ^ 31 Oct – Utrecht, NL • Tivolivredenburg ^ 01 Nov – Antwerp, BE • Trix ^ 04 Nov – Copenhagen, DK • Vega 05 Nov – Malmö, SE • Plan B (Garage Stage) 06 Nov – Göteborg, SE • Monument 031 07 Nov – Stockholm, SE • Bar Brooklyn 08 Nov – Borlänge, SE • Broken Dreams* 05 Dec – Stavanger, NO • Folken 06 Dec – Kristiansand, NO • Kick Kulturhus 11 Dec – Trondheim, NO • Byscenen 12 Dec -Bodø, NO • Sinus 13 Dec – Mo I Rana, NO • Bråk 17 Dec – Lillehammer, NO • Wiese 18 Dec – Oslo, NO • Rockefeller 19 Dec – Moss, NO • Verket Scene 20 Dec – Skien, NO • Parkbiografen
+Festival ^Support For Kadavar *With Greenleaf & Lowrider xSupporting Mastodon
Slomosa features: Ben Berdous – vocals/guitar Marie Moe – vocals/bass Tor Erik Bye – guitar Jard Hole – drums
Posted in Whathaveyou on July 9th, 2025 by JJ Koczan
Once upon a long, long seven years ago, in autumn, I found myself in the basement of Kulturkirken Jakob to see Taiga Woods launch the second day of Høstsabbat 2018 (review here), which they did in rousing fashion. By then, their 2017 self-titled debut, which ran between desert-style riffing and excursions into more complex melody and heavy psychedelic divergences, was already out and processed by those fortunate enough to have taken it on, and I kind of lost track of the band on any level more than something cool I was lucky to see that one time I was.
Fans of Spidergawd, Truckfighters, Kyuss, who might be interested in hearing some ELO vocal harmonies that presage pretty much all of 2020’s heavy rock (I’m exaggerating, but not a ton), should probably stop reading now and check out the stream of the 2017 album at the bottom of this post. The news here is that Taiga Woods have linked up with Evil Noise Recordings to the end of releasing not a second full-length, but the collection Demos and Rarities Limited Edition that will go in-part toward funding the recording of their next album, though I admit I don’t know the status of that recording, i.e., whether or not such a thing exists in a tangible, off-to-mastering kind of way.
Given the span of time since the debut, I’m not holding my breath for Taiga Woods‘ second LP to be out this year. Not to say it couldn’t happen, but 2026 seems more likely, if they’re actually knuckling down and working on it. But forward motion still counts, and for those who dug the self-titled, Demos and Rarities Limited Edition should be a reminder of why.
From Evil Noise on socials:
EVIL NOISE RECORDINGS – 🌲TAIGA WOODS🌲
Super stoked to present Taiga Woods !
Taiga Woods have been working hard on their sophomore album, set to be released soon.
But first an exclusive release: Out August 29th, “Demos & Rarities Limited Edition” , is a collection of demos and rarities that will never be released elsewhere.
All income from this limited cassette will go to mixing and mastering Taiga Woods second album. This release will only be available through the band.
Posted in Whathaveyou on July 8th, 2025 by JJ Koczan
Always cool to see the Oslo-based Høstsabbat fest building its lineup over the months leading up to October. I have had the pleasure in years past of being there and, especially now having been to the city in Springtime for Desertfest this year, there’s a special vibe to Fall. Maybe it’s hanging around the Kulturkirken Jakob for a couple days, or the black-silver crows and ominous cloud clover, but you feel the encroaching darkness of the Norwegian winter without it actually being bitterly cold, and even in the city, at least by the church, there are dry leaves blowing in the wind.
The latest round of adds brings two Belgian, Gnome and Hippotraktor, and three Norwegian acts in Nadir, Ruun and Kambodsja, who join the previously-announced YOB, Ahab, Domkraft and New Money as the long-running Høstsabbat continues to meld styles and geographies for a gorgeously dark two-dayer experience. I’ll miss it this year, literally and figuratively, but as noted at the outset, it’s fun to keep up.
From socials:
🔥 Behold 🔥 – band announcement!
The sharp-eyed have maybe already caught a glimpse from a flyer or poster in Oslo, but we’re off to the races for real now!
🪦 GNOME (BE) – Three Belgian stoned gnomes with pointy hats and armed to the teeth with killer riffs and coordinated dances. What’s not to love?
🪦 HIPPOTRAKTOR (BE) – Sticking with the Belgian theme, this post-metal quintet finds the most intricate melodies and patterns in Space-Time continuum.
🪦 NADIR (NO) – Rooted in Black Metal, Nadir delivers charred, fast-paced, aggressive and relentless walls of existential dread.
🪦 RUUN (NO) – Promising brutality and slaughter, their corrosive death metal perfectly accompanies the dystopian human existence.
🪦 KAMBODSJA (NO) – Progressive indie punk rock, spiced with enough attitude and spunk to rip your face off.
