Truth be told, I go back and forth on Austin acoustic metallers Ancient VVisdom. They’re very good at what they do, and when I saw them earlier this year in NYC out supporting their new album, Deathlike, they surprised me in how effectively they were able to carry across a sense of atmosphere and maintain a presence on stage, not being wholly lost to ambience or making their unplugged, semi-pagan aesthetic seem entirely like schtick.

On the other hand, they’ve never managed to grab with the same kind of authority as a band like Anathema could in what’s now their mid-period. But I’m not sure that’s a fair standard or comparison. Like I said, I go back and forth. Maybe I’ll go hit up their show on this freshly-announced headlining tour and make up my damn mind.

Here they are, lookin’ spooky:

ANCIENT VVISDOM ANNOUNCE HEADLINING TOUR DATES

Austin-based heavy occult rock group ANCIENT VVISDOM have just revealed plans for a upcoming U.S. headlining trek, the “Pagan Summer Tour,” which will also feature psychedelic rockers The Saint James Society with select appearances from fellow occult rockers Bloody Hammers. A trailer for the tour can be viewed below.

“PAGAN SUMMER TOUR” rituals:
8/4 Houston, TX – Fitzgeralds #
8/5 New Orleans,LA – Siberia #
8/6 Atlanta, GA – Purgatory ^
8/7 Nashville, TN – Exit In ^
8/8 Richmond, VA – Strange Matter ^
8/9 Baltimore, MD – Side Bar ^
8/10 New York, NY – Saint Vitus ^
8/12 Burlington, VT – Metal Mondays @ Nectar’s #
8/13 Montreal, QC – Divan Orange #
8/14 Boston, MA – Great Scott #
8/15 Philadelphia, PA – Kung Fu Necktie #
8/16 Cleveland, OH – Now That’s Class #
8/17 Columbus, OH – Double Happiness #
# with The Saint James Society
^ with The Saint James Society & Bloody Hammer

For tickets & more information, please visit: www.facebook.com/AVVFB

Ancient VVisdom, 2013 Summer Tour Promo

One more for Desertfest before the week is out. Joining a lineup that features a riff head’s dream roster of acts — Colour Haze and Dozer and Truckfighters and Yawning Man and Lowrider and Conan are playing, but you know, no big deal — is San Francisco’s Castle, who released their sophomore full-length, Blacklands, on Prosthetic Records last year. To be blunt, shit is wild. Here’s the official announcement, swiped from the Desertfest London website:

Castle Announced For Desertfest

Formed in 2009, San Francisco’s Castle have created two albums thus far; “In Witch Order” (2011) and last year’s “Blacklands”, which was produced by the legendary Billy Anderson. The lineup consists of Mat Davis (guitar), Elizabeth Blackwell (bass, vocals) and Al McCartney (drums). Together they mix the best elements of classic doom with early black and thrash metal into a tumultuous and inventive maelstrom of oppressive sonic excess, a power trio touched by the hand of the the opposer himself.

In the short time since they started, they have supported such luminaries as Kylesa, Witch Mountain and Hammers of Misfortune. Those three bands combined give a neat, but by no means comprehensive, indication of what you can expect from their sound, on stage and record.

While undoubtedly giving a big nod (or should that be head bang?) to the old-school, they also make an effort to out-stretch their talents into technically demanding territories, exploring realms that you may not expect of them. This gives their stage show an unpredictable, and at times mystical ambiance. All this is taken further on it’s way by Elizabeth Blackwell’s fearsome vocals, ranging from plaintive despair to blood-curdling desperation. A band that will stand out a little from the rest of the fuzzy, stoned crowd of Desertfest, make sure to catch them this year for something refreshingly different, and decidedly more metal!

Words Courtesy of Rich After Sabbath