Posted in Whathaveyou on March 11th, 2025 by JJ Koczan
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 🪐
“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.
“’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
Posted in Whathaveyou on July 17th, 2024 by JJ Koczan
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.
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!
Posted in Whathaveyou on February 14th, 2024 by JJ Koczan
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
Posted in Whathaveyou on December 29th, 2023 by JJ Koczan
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!
Posted in Whathaveyou on December 13th, 2023 by JJ Koczan
So to pick up the thread where we left off: last time around, UK heavy rocker Psychlona were getting confirmed for Desertfest London 2024. That was just a couple days after revealing they had swapped out half of their lineup. Today comes the news that the Bradford-based four-piece have signed with Magnetic Eye Records — as regards Psychlona news stories in the last two weeks, this is the big one — to release their next album sometime in 2024. Apparently somewhere in there they were confirmed for Stoned From the Underground next July too. One might speculate it feels pretty good to be in Psychlona right now.
Not the least because their new single “Liberty” absolutely oozes vibe. And the vibe is ooze, so that works out too. Molten psychedelia, dug-in tempo but not too slow it loses you, mellow but sure of where it’s headed. If it ended up opening or closing their new long-player when the time comes, yes.
Congrats to band and label. The PR wire has it as follows:
PSYCHLONA sign with Magnetic Eye Records & release new video single ‘Liberty’
PSYCHLONA have set their signatures under a multi-album deal with Magnetic Eye Records, with the British desert rockers planning to release their fourth album via the label later in 2024. See below for statements regarding the signing.
In celebration of joining Magnetic Eye, PSYCHLONA also release a new video single today. Please see below for further details of the smoking track ‘Liberty’.
PSYCHLONA comment: “We are stoked to be joining Magnetic Eye”, guitarist and singer Phil Hey writes on behalf of the band. “We had a few offers on the table but we all knew that this label was the way we wanted to go. We have already worked with label director Jadd Shickler under various guises over the past few years and he has become a trusted confidant and friend. That was probably our primary reason, very closely followed by the fact that Magnetic Eye has a great roster including Greenleaf, who are one of my all-time favourite bands. It made perfect sense. We’re looking forward to a long relationship with Jadd and the guys!”
Jadd Shickler welcomes PSYCHLONA: “I’ve been working with Psychlona for several years in different capacities, and admire the fast leaps forward they’ve taken in a short time”, the Magnetic Eye director explains. “In 2020, they gave even Lowrider and Elephant Tree some tough competition for a lot of folks’ favorite record that year. Then they played back to back at Psycho Las Vegas, and I saw people go crazy for them firsthand. I dig their effortless desert vibe despite the guys being as British as it gets, and I love the dynamic they bring to our carefully curated roster of driven, sonically unique acts. I can hardly wait to hear what they’ll do on their first full album for us next year!”
Live 17-19 May 2024 London (UK) Desertfest 11-13 July 2024 Erfurt (DE) Stoned from the Underground
Line-up Ian ‘Izak’ Buxton – bass guitar Scott Frankling – drums Phil Hey – guitar, vocals Martin Wiseman – lead guitar, backing vocals
Posted in Whathaveyou on December 1st, 2023 by JJ Koczan
The names here are really the thing. Suicidal Tendencies, Cancer Bats, Nightstalker, Ozric Tentacles, Mondo Generator, Sunnata, Kal-El, Psychlona, Kadabra, Saint Karloff, Ashenspire, WAKE, Bongripper, Gozer, Orme, Borehead, Sagan, Acid Throne — did I miss anybody? Hell, probably. Every year, Desertfest has a couple announcements like this where they add basically an entire festival to their festival and it’s always kind of staggering to consider the scope, never mind what Desertfest has become, particularly with London as an epicenter. One of these years I’ll get back over. It’s been too long.
Desertfest London welcomes Roundhouse headliners Suicidal Tendencies plus Ozric Tentacles, Cancer Bats, Bongripper and 15 more artists for 2024
Friday 17th May – Sunday 19th May 2024 | Weekend Tickets now on sale
Desertfest London proudly welcomes the legendary Suicidal Tendencies to their 2024 event as Roundhouse headliners. Celebrating 40 years since their genre-defying first album, prepare to have your mind Institutionalized! Whilst Desertfest remains synonymous with showcasing the best of stoner, doom and psych for over twelve years, Suicidal Tendencies’ headlining performance will add a new dimension to the festival, bridging the gap between the punk and metal scenes that have inspired countless bands worldwide.
Hailing from the sun-soaked streets of Venice, California, Suicidal Tendencies frontman Mike Muir helped shape a cultural landscape, whilst simultaneously pioneering a new genre. Taking the essence of skating, surfing and the Dogtown scene & infusing it with a unique style of hardcore punk. Their seamless un-apologetic musical blend, breaking of conventions and fearless take on challenging socials issues changed the landscape of heavy music forever. Suicidal Tendencies’ performance at Desertfest not only welcomes the band back to London for the first time in seven years, but marks a new point in the festival’s evolution as a celebration of underground counter-culture.
The icons keep rolling in as Ozric Tentacles join the bill, also celebrating a monumental 40 years, Ozrics’ unique lysergic soundscapes helped merge the worlds of psychedelia, progressive rock and dance music. Formed during a solstice at Stonehenge in 1983, Ozric Tentacles are true trailblazers – laying the tripped-out road which so many acts in the Desertfest-sphere now follow.
Heavy music’s hardest-working, and hardest-partying, road dogs Cancer Bats will up the ante with their rock’n’roll shenanigans as they bring the energy. Satan Worshipping Doom, three words that need no explanation to Desertfesters’ as Bongripper make their first appearance at the event since 2013. Plus, the prodigal son returns as Nick Oliveri’s Mondo Generator showcase their immense catalogue of desert-drenched tones.
Elsewhere the festival announces Greek stoner-Gods Nightstalker, avant-garde-jazz meets black-metal mania from Ashenspire, a spellbinding ritual from Sunnata and further melting-pot madness from crushing Canadian’s WAKE.
Additionally, Psychlona, Kal-El, Kadabra, Saint Karloff and Lord Elephant bring the grooves, whilst heaviness reigns with homegrown talent Gozer, Acid Throne & Orme. And finally rounding things off Desertfest warmly welcomes, Borehead & Sagan.
Weekend Tickets for the event are on sale now via www.desertfest.co.uk with more artists, day splits & day tickets released in January.
Posted in Whathaveyou on November 29th, 2023 by JJ Koczan
So, this isn’t the only announcement UK heavy rockers Psychlona have on deck. The proverbial “big things coming,” except that’s pretty true here as opposed to many other cases. What I’m saying is you’ll hear about them again, soon, but this is an important first. Psychlona bassist Martyn put it out on socials that he was quitting the band, and it seems they concurrently lost a guitar as well. But some trains can’t be stopped and the band will continue as guitarist/vocalist Phil Hey and drummer Scott Frankling bring in lead guitarist Martin Wiseman and bassist Ian “Izak” Buxton to complete the four-piece lineup and continue to move ahead toward their next album release.
And that’ll be another announcement. And tour dates? Yup, another announcement to come. Festivals? I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised. So no, this isn’t the hugest announcement Psychlona will make in the next few weeks and months, but you can’t do all kinds of awesome band stuff if you don’t have a band. Better to take care of it now.
Their statement follows:
As some of you already know Martyn decided to leave the band recently as he doesn’t want to spend time away from his family while touring. What you probably don’t know is that Dave decided to leave at the same time for exactly the same reason. So although we’re gutted they chose to leave after being in the band from the start over 10 years ago we wish them the very best for the future. We’re gonna miss them massively. They both leave behind a great legacy of 3 albums, lots of festival and gig performances and lots of good times. We can’t print some of the stories here but there’s been some crazy laughs along the way in various countries around the world. The main thing is that we all remain great friends.
So where does that leave Psychlona? Next year we will release album number 4, be appearing at various European festivals and we’ll be touring Europe again in October so a pretty busy time ahead.
We’d like to take this opportunity to introduce our two new band members. Step forward Martin Wiseman on lead guitar and Ian ‘Izak’ Buxton on bass duties. Both guys have been prolific on the heavy rock scene for a number of years. You might have seen them performing in Ironrat, Lazarus Blackstar, Wolves in Winter, Silverburn, Oakenthrone etc. Well now their asses belong to Psychlona and we’re looking forward to them sharing the ride with us into the future.
So thanks to Dave and Martyn for all the hard work up until now and let’s have a big ‘hell yeah’ for Martin and Izak. Coming to a town near you real soon……………..
More announcements coming shortly…………………
Psychlona are: Ian “Izak” Buxton: bass Martin Wiseman: lead guitar Scott Frankling: drums Phil Hey: guitar/vocals
