It’ll be 18 shows in a row when Psychlona hit the road next March, and if that sounds like a lot, for sure it is. Of course, the UK heavy/desert rockers are no strangers to such undertakings, but still. That’s as much a lifestyle as it is a tour, even in Europe, where there’s a chance someone will feed them along the way.

The band led by founding guitarist/vocalist Phil Hey released their latest LP, Warped Vision (review here), just about a year ago (Sept. 27, 2024) through Magnetic Eye, and if it needs to be said, the album has lost none of its warmth of groove or tone in that time. Reportedly, though, they’ll have new tunes along for the trip on this tour, and presumably that hammering-out-of-things-on-stage will be followed by a swing though the studio. And since it’s Psychlona, emphasis there on “swing.”

Kudos to the band on punk-rocking the tour schedule intensity, and here’s looking forward to new material. I won’t be there (unless somebody wants to help my family flee this country; now accepting donations), but I’ll keep an eye out for video. And if Spring seems like a ways off, Psychlona will support The Obsessed on tour next month as well. Those dates (and poster) are below.

The band sent the following own the PR wire:

PSYCHLONA – March 2026 EU Tour

We’re stoked to announce we’ll be crossing the channel once again back to our spiritual home mainland Europe in march 2026 for an 18 date headline tour. Working again with our good friends at Sound of Liberation we’ll be taking in Germany, Austria. Netherlands, Switzerland and Belgium. Hot off the back of our tour with The Obsessed we’re hoping to see a whole lot of friendly faces in some familiar cities/venues but also we’re hitting a few new locations for the first time. Expect a lot of old classics with a healthy dose of new songs thrown into the mix. Details of supports etc to follow.

See ya there…………………

Psychlona European Spring Tour 2026
04.03 NL Nijmegen Doornroosje
05.03 NL Rotterdam Baroeg
06.03 DE Köln Garagen
07.03 DE Münster Rare Guitar
08.03 DE Hamburg Hafenklang (Goldener Salon)
09.03 DE Berlin Neue Zukunft
10.03 DE Hannover Cafe Glocksee
11.03 DE Dresden Chemie Fabrik
12.03 DE Jena KuBa
13.03 AT Salzburg Rockhouse Bar
14.03 CH Winterthur Gaswerk
15.03 DE München Backstage
16.03 DE Bamberg Live Club
17.03 DE Stuttgart Goldmarks
18.03 DE Karlsruhe Stadtmitte
19.03 DE Aachen Musikbunker
20.03 DE Weinheim Cafe Central
21.03 BE Namur Belvédère

Psychlona – Fall 2025 European Tour w/ The Obsessed
01.10.25 (DE) Wiesbaden, Schlachthof
02.10.25 (DE) Ulm, Roxy
03.10.25 (DE) Würzburg, Keep It True Festival
04.10.25 (DE) Karlsruhe, Stadtmitte
05.10.25 (CH) Pratteln, Up In Smoke Festival
06.10.25 (IT) Milano, Legend
08.10.25 (AT) Vienna, Arena
09.10.25 (AT) Innsbruck, P.M.K.
10.10.25 (HR) Zagreb, Mochvara
11.10.25 (DE) Munich, Keep It Low Festival
12.10.25 (DE) Leipzig, UT Connewitz
13.10.25 (DE) Berlin, Zukunft
15.10.25 (DE) Cologne, Volta
16.10.25 (DE) Bielefeld, Forum
18.10.25 (NL) Deventer, Burgerweeshuis
20.10.25 (UK) Bradford, The Underground
21.10.25 (UK) Manchester, Star & Garter

Line-up
Ian ‘Izak’ Buxton – bass guitar
Scott Frankling – drums
Phil Hey – guitar, vocals
Martin Wiseman – lead guitar, backing vocals

psychlona.bandcamp.com
http://instagram.com/psychlona
http://www.facebook.com/Psychlona/

http://store.merhq.com
http://magneticeyerecords.com/
https://www.instagram.com/magneticeyerecords/
https://www.facebook.com/MagneticEyeRecords

Psychlona, Warped Vision (2024)

Hard to argue as the Fall fest and touring season for Europe takes shape. If you’re keeping up, you probably saw earlier this week that My Sleeping Karma, Psychlona and Kant were added to the Keep it Low Festival (info here), and Kanaan — who are newly-added to Up in Smoke 2025 in Switzerland along with the aforementioned three, Canada’s Sons of Arrakis, and the noise-rocking homegrown Swiss unit Hathors — had been previously confirmed for that Munich-based festival as well.

This is how it goes in Europe at this point and it’s a beautiful thing to see, whether it’s in autumn or spring or summer, where there’s another fest somewhere practically every weekend and touring bands have basically a guaranteed audience quotient as they make their way through. Up in Smoke happens earlier in October — it’s set for Oct. 3-5, as you can see on the poster below — and so will catch a lot of these acts at the start of their respective tours, whether that’s Sons of Arrakis or Graveyard, and do I really need to mention that this will be Orange Goblin‘s last show in Switzerland, perhaps ever?

I didn’t think so. The following came from social media via Sound of Liberation:

⚡️UP IN SMOKE 2025 – NEW BAND ANNOUNCEMENT⚡️

Hey Smokers,

The riff train rolls on – we’re thrilled to drop SIX more bands for this year’s Up In Smoke Festival! 🚂💨

MY SLEEPING KARMA – Hypnotic, instrumental journeys through space and soul!
KANAAN – Psychedelic power-trio from Norway bringing the fuzz and fire!
PSYCHLONA – UK desert rockers channeling the spirit of the sands!
SONS OF ARRAKIS – Spice-fueled heaviness straight from the Dune universe!
KANT – Progressive, dynamic, and heavy as hell – a must-see live act!
HATHORS – Swiss noise rockers with a raw edge and massive energy!

The smoke is getting thicker and the vibes even heavier – and we’re still just getting started. 👁️‍🗨️

Lock in your spot now and catch it all live from October 3 – 5, 2025 at Konzertfabrik Z7 in Pratteln! 🎟️ Link in bio.

See you in the smoke! 💨

Cheers,
Your Up In Smoke Crew

https://www.instagram.com/up_in_smoke_festival
https://www.facebook.com/upinsmokefestivalswitzerland

https://www.soundofliberation.com/
https://www.instagram.com/soundofliberation/
https://www.facebook.com/Soundofliberation/

Kanaan, Downpour (2023)

Don’t tell Keep it Low, but I’ve had a secret crush on the Munich-based Fall fest from Sound of Liberation pretty much since its outset. The look has gotten a little different over time, a little more in line now with the likes of Up in Smoke or Desertfest Belgium, but the vibe has always struck me as laid back even on the scale of pro-shop Euro heavyfests, and once again I find myself looking at the poster, seeing the bands getting added — in this case: My Sleeping Karma, Mondo Generator, Psychlona, Ritual King, Kant, Bikini Beach and Thra — and daydreaming of an absconding that’s not to be. Another year, another Keep it Low as my loss.

But it’s a win if you’re headed there, from Graveyard and Bongripper and Colour Haze‘s annual hometown throwdown to Blue Heron and Hidas and whoever’s still to come. You’ve got Conan and Lowrider and Kanaan and High Desert Queen and, well, yeah. Imagine taking two days of your life and dedicating them to the purpose of experiencing this thing. Just for a minute, think about it. Here’s the poster with the full list of names as it stands and the latest short announcement from the festival, which is set for Oct. 10 and 11 at Backstage, again in Munich, which does have its own international airport:

KEEP IT LOW 2025 – ⚡️NEW BANDS ANNOUNCED!⚡️

Hey Keepers,

More sonic firepower incoming – 7 new bands are joining the Keep It Low Festival 2025 lineup!

My Sleeping Karma
Mondo Generator
Psychlona
Kant
Ritual King
Bikini Beach
Thra

Prepare for psychedelic journeys, desert grooves, and crushing heaviness! 🔥

Hosted by Sound Of Liberation (Desertfest Berlin, Up In Smoke, Lazy Bones Fest a.o.), Keep It Low will be taking place between 10. – 11. October 2025 at Backstage.

Join the Facebook event for more updates at:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1200732624331625

Tickets are on sale at: www.sol-tickets.com

https://www.facebook.com/keepitlowfestival/
https://www.keepitlow.de/
https://www.soundofliberation.com/
http://www.sol-tickets.com

My Sleeping Karma, “Ephedra” live at Desertfest Berlin 2025

Perhaps some extra interest in seeing how the lineup for Desertfest Belgium 2025 takes shape over the next few months considering how heartwrenching the bill for 2024 was. They have not gone small to answer that question in this first reveal — you can see the names for yourself on the poster below — which covers a range of styles and has an according geographic reach. Note New Mexico’s Blue Heron taking part, supporting their rightfully-well-received 2024 LP, Everything Fades (review here), and note Lowrider because it’s notable anytime they play anywhere. Go them both, along with the rest, if you can.

As regards “the rest,” the names are their own best argument, I guess. Desertfest Belgium has become an integral part of the Fall underground touring circuit, a nexus point where various individual tours converge and split off again, so I’ll be interested to see, say, who The Obsessed will be out with, or how many times in your life you might be able to say you saw Colour Haze and Lowrider on a bill together in 2025. Just for examples.

So yeah, good start. Take their word for it in the “much more to be announced” part too. From socials:

FIRST NAMES! GRAVEYARD, BONGRIPPER, MASTERS OF REALITY & MORE!

Hi Desertfans,

Are you ready to rip it up? Here are the first names for Desertfest Antwerp 2025!

We’re very excited to welcome this divine & dangerous bunch to our stages:

Graveyard 🌑 BONGRIPPER 🌑 Masters Of Reality 🌑 Oranssi Pazuzu 🌑 The Obsessed 🌑 Bongzilla 🌑 monkey3 🌑 Lowrider 🌑 Colour Haze 🌑 Mars Red Sky 🌑 Psychlona 🌑 NEGATIVE BLAST 🌑 Alber Jupiter 🌑 Hedonist 🌑 Blue Heron

If you are as delighted as we are then head over to our ticket page below and grab a weekend pass for a guaranteed three days of sonic delirium 🪐

https://www.desertfest.be/antwerp/information/ticketing/

Hasta la vista!
The Desertfest Belgium team

http://www.desertfest.be/
https://www.facebook.com/desertfestbelgium/
https://www.instagram.com/desertfest_belgium/

Bongripper, Empty (2024)

“Magic Carpet” — for which UK desert-style heavy rockers Psychlona have an extra-classy, sharply-dressed new video posted below — is the closing track on the band’s new album, Warped Vision, which is out Sept. 27 through Magnetic Eye. If a hazy, slow-moving cloud could also be a monolith, that might come close to capturing some essence of the mood between “Smoke” and “Topanga” spread throughout the 45-minute eight-tracker, which is the band’s fourth overall and first for the new label. They have been through some lineup changes since 2022’s Palo Verde (review here), bringing in Martin Wiseman as guitarist/backing vocalist and adding bassist Ian “Izak” Buxton to the rhythm section alongside drummer Scott Frankling, and while there’s some inevitable shift in dynamic as a result, they remain fueled by the riffage of founding guitarist/vocalist Phil Hey. To date, Psychlona have never wanted for consistency. Warped Vision rocks accordingly; heavy and able to lean into and out of psychedelic nuance built around solid verse/chorus structures. Those who followed the Bradford-based outfit from 2018’s Mojo Rising (discussed here) and 2020’s Venus Skytrip (review here) through Palo Verde will both know what to expect and be pleasantly surprised by the way Warped Vision goes exploring, approaching new ground on sure footing.

The two halves of the record play well off each other in purpose. Opener “Jasmine” has its quirk but is ultimately a straight-ahead desert rock banger with marked swing in Frankling‘s drums and a welcome post-Kyuss shove in the verse. “Let’s Go,” which follows immediately, keeps this urgency in a double-time hi-hat through the quiet guitar intro, and is comfortable in an uptempo pace, laid back despite the significant density of the fuzz, lyrics presented in void-bound echoes, catchy and reminiscent of ’90s Britpsych revivalism without losing the capital-‘h’ Heavy quotient in its sound. On the other side of “Smoke,” “Cut Loose” will wrap side A with similar targets in its sights, a more metallic nod maybe to go with its sense of space, but a nod just the same. But it’s in “Smoke” that the departure from the opening salvo really happens; a mellower and more drifting semi-‘gaze feel that makes the most of Hey‘s vocals atmospherically as it sets up the transition to more grounded push in its final third.

Side B functions almost the same, only different (ha). The aforementioned “Topanga” opens and seems all about crunch and twist initially — one is reminded of latter-day Snail in the breadth of its chorus — but shifts after 4:30 into a comedown march topped with jammy strum, and the trade between drift and drive becomes even more stark on “Kaleidoscope” as the four-piece bring a sinister undercurrent forward in the guitar that’s consuming but not necessarily aggressive in terms of sounding pissed off, especially with the spoken recitations of the verse. They find their pocket, and whether a given part is loud or quiet, it’s all loud in spirit. Fluid in its changes, “Kaleidoscope” is a highlight like “Topanga” before it, but Psychlona have vibe-expansion to offer with “Split,” essentially flipping the balance of “Smoke” on its stoner rocking head and thereby lending an even more open impression to what’s Warped Vision‘s longest inclusion (not by a ton) at 6:18, with fuller tonality takes hold for a consuming finish.

This, then, is the setup that precedes “Magic Carpet,” and if it seems odd that a band with so many songs about weedy living would don tuxedos in the video that follows, you’ll probably never see me in tails, but I get where they’re coming from in thinking it’s an occasion for which it’s worth getting dressed up. The jazzy drums at the outset and floaty guitar give over to a vital roll in the hook, underscoring the flexibility Psychlona foster as they play to style in a vision of classic-style desert-hued psychedelic heavy rock. It’s not the most intuitive of singles — which only adds to the appeal in my mind, especially since the record’s out — but “Magic Carpet” doesn’t need to be as immediate as “Jasmine” for where it is on the record, and by the time it gets to its layered-solo apex, it’s a party either way. If the story of Psychlona has been about songwriting since the days of Mojo Rising, well, it still is, but the scope of that has grown duly encompassing over the last eight years.

If you find yourself swept up in “Magic Carpet” — shades of Steppenwolf — the best advice I can give you is to hit play on the album stream near the bottom of the post and go back to the start with “Jasmine” and “Let’s Go,” both prior singles. I’m sure you’ve heard the record already because you’re cooler than I am and you always have been — the magic is in you, whether or not you’re a carpet — but should you end up using the clip as a catalyst for further visitation to Psychlona‘s vivid-color slice of reality, I think that’s the idea in the first place.

Enjoy:

Psychlona, “Magic Carpet” official video

http://lnk.spkr.media/psychlona-warped-vision

“’Magic Carpet’ was a jazzy guitar piece Martin brought along to rehearsal one day. The riff just sounded cool and upbeat so we brought it down with some dark lyrics, but gave it some welly with a mega-riff in the second half. This one should get the pit going – then it’ll be goodnight from us.” — Phil Hey/Psychlona

Recorded and produced by Andy Hawkins at the Nave Studios, Leeds, UK
Video filmed at Sunbridge Wells and Voltage Studios, Bradford.
https://sunbridgewells.co.uk/
http://www.voltagestudios.com/
Directed & Edited by Tim Walker
Camera by Nick Taylor

Line-up
Ian ‘Izak’ Buxton – bass guitar
Scott Frankling – drums
Phil Hey – guitar, vocals
Martin Wiseman – lead guitar, backing vocals

Psychlona, Warped Vision (2024)

Psychlona on Facebook

Psychlona on Instagram

Psychlona on Bandcamp

Magnetic Eye Records store

Magnetic Eye Records website

Magnetic Eye Records on Facebook

Magnetic Eye Records on Instagram

Perhaps if you were at Stoned From the Underground this past weekend in Germany you’d have been fortunate enough to catch UK heavy rockers Psychlona heralding the upcoming release of their fourth album overall and first through Magnetic Eye Records, Warped Vision. If not there, maybe Desertfest London back in May? If not, best I can tell you is wait your turn, they’ll get around to you eventually. There’s only so many places you can be at one time.

On that note, I’ll cop to being a couple weeks behind on posting word of Warped Vision‘s impending Sept. 27 arrival. I’m also a couple weeks behind on everything else in life, so rest assured that’s not a slight on the band. The album’s first single, “Let’s Go,” is streaming at the bottom of the post, and while I’m not Johnny-Fingeronthepulse here by any means, it’s not like it happened three years ago, so maybe we can all chill out with our internet-born attention spans and expectations of instant gratification. Or maybe I just suck at this. I think both things can be true.

From the PR wire:

UK Psych Desert Rockers Psychlona Return!

When it’s time to pick your poison, a blend of KYUSS and FU MANCHU is nearly always the base for a delicious result. PSYCHLONA are experts in their field, their fourth album “Warped Vision” is an exemplary exercise of practised veterans creating a masterpiece.

Get a taste for yourself by listening to the lead single and pre-ordering here:
http://lnk.spkr.media/psychlona-warped-vision

The album’s foundations are laid down by riff-focused heaviness and breakouts combined with a multitude of chilled vibes. What makes “Warped Vision” stick out from a host of similar recordings is the precision with which each hook hits home and sticks, a dynamic balance of rough edges and catchy melodies.

The city of Bradford in West Yorkshire is neither particularly arid nor situated in a hot climate. But although hailing from the former industrial heartlands of rainy Northern England, PSYCHLONA have developed a particularly British brand of desert rock. The hot summer days of 2016 inspired some local musicians to fry up some sonic ideas from sunny California of decades past and to blend in the raw energy of UK punk, a dash of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, and spoonfuls of classic English 60s and 70s psychedelia. When this experiment far exceeded their own expectations, PSYCHLONA were born.

PSYCHLONA have established themselves as an impressive live act. Relentless touring and performing at prestigious festivals that included Desertfest (UK & DE), Freak Valley (DE), SonicBlast (PT), Alcatraz Music (BE), Sonic Whip (NL), and at Psycho Las Vegas (US) pushed the Brits higher up the billings. An incident in Las Vegas when they were the only band asked by the casino manager to please turn down the volume only fueled their upward trajectory.

Now, PSYCHLONA are ready to take the next big step. Welcoming two new members aboard the band has added a new dynamic both in writing and recording. The gentle alterations brought about by their fresh input has turned “Warped Vision” into what is clearly the most complete and thrilling album of the psychedelic desert rockers so far. With “Warped Vision”, PSYCHLONA have hit the jackpot, and they are generously offering up rounds for everyone.

Pre-order the album on CD or LP, including both neon yellow and green/black marble variants!

Grab your copy here:
http://lnk.spkr.media/psychlona-warped-vision

Tracklisting:
1. Jasmine
2. Let’s Go
3. Smoke
4. Cut Loose
5. Topanga
6. Kaleidoscope
7. Split
8. Magic Carpet

Line-up
Ian ‘Izak’ Buxton – bass guitar
Scott Frankling – drums
Phil Hey – guitar, vocals
Martin Wiseman – lead guitar, backing vocals

http://www.facebook.com/Psychlona/
http://instagram.com/psychlona
psychlona.bandcamp.com

http://store.merhq.com
http://magneticeyerecords.com/
https://www.facebook.com/MagneticEyeRecords
https://www.instagram.com/magneticeyerecords/

Psychlona, Warped Vision (2024)

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

🎫Online-Tickets: www.sol-tickets.com
(link in bio)
& www.z-7.ch

🎫Hardtickets: www.sol-records.com

🌐Website: www.upinsmoke.de

Up In Smoke Festival
10th Anniversary
🗓️04. – 06. October 2024
📍Z7 Konzertfabrik
Pratteln, Switzerland

Cheers,
Your UIS-Crew

https://www.facebook.com/upinsmokefestivalswitzerland
https://www.instagram.com/up_in_smoke_festival

https://www.facebook.com/Soundofliberation/
https://www.instagram.com/soundofliberation/
https://www.soundofliberation.com/

Lowrider, Live at Hellfest 2022

If you’re the type who likes to take care of things early, well, you’re apparently in good company with the Munich-based Keep it Low Festival. The two-dayer fest, which is one of many under the umbrella of Sound of Liberation booking, is held annually in October, and that’s when it’s set to take place in 2024 as well, at Backstage in Munich on Oct. 11-12. Tickets, however, are on sale almost 10 full months early.

Why? I’m not sure, but I have a definite answer in “why the hell not?,” and I find that when I try to answer that question, I come up blank. So yeah, it seems like that’s really early, but on the other hand, why not put tickets for next year on sale while people are at the fest this year? It’s different, I don’t know if it’s been done before, but doesn’t that just make it a new idea, and is that something so terrible to be chasing down in a climate where live music is trying to draw people out of the entertainment hotbeds we’ve built in our homes?

I’ve gotten sidetracked from this lineup announcement, which came out the other day from Sound of Liberation and hints toward Fall 2024 European tours for at least Fu Manchu, Monolord, Truckfighters, Greenleaf, Messa and Psychlona, but I like to keep an eye for how things evolve from year to year and for all I know, Keep it Low has been doing this every year for the last decade (happy 10th anniversary, by the way) and I’m just picking up on it now because, well, I’m kinda slow sometimes, but it stood out to me as something you might not see all the time. And maybe you like to make early travel arrangements. I know I do.

From social media:

KEEP IT LOW 2024 – ⚡️FIRST BAND ANNOUNCEMENT & TICKETS ON SALE!⚡️

Hey Keepers,

we are super excited to present you the first bands for next year’s edition of the Keep It Low festival!🔥

Please welcome:

FU MANCHU
TRUCKFIGHTERS
MONOLORD
GREENLEAF
MESSA
WOLVENNEST
PSYCHLONA
APTERA
DJIIN
ZERRE
HECKSPOILER
MINDCRAWLER
& MANY MORE!

🎫Weekend tickets are available in our shop.
www.sol-tickets.com

Keep It Low Festival
10th anniversary
🗓️11 & 12 October 2024
📍Backstage Munich

Artwork by Sebastian Jerke

Cheers,
Your Keep It Low Crew

https://www.facebook.com/keepitlowfestival/
https://www.keepitlow.de/
https://www.soundofliberation.com/
http://www.sol-tickets.com

Greenleaf, Live at Desertfest Berlin 2023