Here’s how I wound up with four records embedded at the bottom of this post: First, I got an email from ReykjaDoom with a much more polite take on, “Hey goober we finished our lineup this week don’t miss it.” Then I wrote back and was like, “Thanks, sorry, cool,” and searched out the finished lineup and poster that, owing to the age of wonders in which we live, is both above (horizontally) and below (vertically) this text. One likes to be thorough.

Next, I scrolled through ReykjaDoom‘s social media posts to see if I could find which bands were announced, and here’s where it happened. Reading backwards from last to first, I was like, “Oh sweet, Moonstone rule. I should include Growth (review here) with the post” — and yes, my inner monologue does include review links at this point. Then I saw MC NYASNOI, and I’d never heard them before, so I checked that out.

Five bucks later, I had a download from Bandcamp and at that point, grabbing an embed code is practically instinct for me. Record is wild. Super-weird. Will be in my next Quarterly Review. Next was Nornahetta and though I’m not a huge black metal guy, I was curious to hear a maybe-improv version thereof, so I hit their Bandcamp too, found an older release that represented some of the harshness of Iceland’s dried-lava-char take on the style. Easy choice to put that in too, and though I already knew at that point I’d have to have everybody, seeing that the last band was resonant cavernous doomers Morpholith would have made the choice easy anyhow.

That’s one, two, three, four, in order as I encountered them and presented that way below. I’m posting about a lot of Spring fests in the next few weeks, probably. Because this is the last announcement from ReykjaDoom 2024 — which used to be Doomcember, but switched months — and because it’s happening earlier than much of the Spring fest season in Europe (and separated geographically from the mainland), I don’t want it to get lost in the shuffle, not the least because of the blend of different styles on the bill and the fact that, only knowing half the bands in a given lineup reveal, each one turned out to be consuming in its own way.

Glad I got that email. Here’s word from the fest:

The last bands of ReykjaDoom Fest 2024 are coming.

First we welcome Morpholith.

Their debut LP is expected to come next year, utilising many sub-genres of doom metal to create variant kinds of absolute wall of sound.

—

The second announcement of the day are the improvisational black metal band Nornahetta.

Known for sporadic live performances with no pre-written material, the mysterious force will do a uniquely slow and gloomy performance at ReykjaDoom Fest 2024.

—

The third band announcement of the day, is the electronic doom metal band MC MYASNOI.

The band released an EP “falling lower than you expected” earlier in October. Their sound still has their signature synth elements from previous releases but combines it with spooky, experimental doom metal.

—

The final band of ReykjaDoom Fest 2024 is the Polish band Moonstone.

Atmospheric stoner doom with powerful riffs, gloomy vocals and sensational moments.

Their recent performance at our comrade’s fest, Høstsabbat, only reassured us that they are the perfect fit for our next festival.

Unmissable addition to an already tight line-up.

Doom lives!

ReykjaDoom Fest 2024

8-9. March
Gaukurinn – Reykjavík

Konvent (DK)
Kælan Mikla
Dread Sovereign (IE)
Moonstone (PL)
Altari
CXVIII
Kvelja
MC MYASNOI
Morpholith
Múr
Nornahetta
Sleeping Giant
Slor
Volcanova

Tickets: https://www.midix.is/en//eid/89

Let there be doom!

https://www.facebook.com/doomcember/
https://www.instagram.com/reykjadoom/
https://www.reykjadoom.com/

Moonstone, Growth (2023)

MC MYASNOI, Falling Lower Than You Expected (2023)

Nornahetta, Synesthetic Pareidolia (2017)

Morpholith, Null Dimensions (2020)

The second round of lineup announcements for ReykjaDoom Festival 2024 — set for next March in Reykjavík, Iceland, as the name might hint — brings Dread Sovereign, Kælan Mikla, a reunion from Sleeping Giant (not the Aussie band, who so far as I know are still together), as well as Slor with whom I’m not familiar at all but am anxious enough to learn that I put a 15-minute demo track at the bottom of this post, and upstart heavy rockers Volcanova, who released their Cosmic Bullshit EP (review here) early in 2022.

With one announcement to go, apparently, ReykjaDoom puts focus this time more on capital-‘h’ Heavy, and fair enough, but what Kælan Mikla will bring to this bill in terms of melody and atmosphere shouldn’t be discounted, and they’re by no means the only not-stonerdoomsludgewhatever act on the bill. Very curious who’s gonna end up in that last round, but it might be October before we get there, and given the teeny-tiny sliver of a brain in my skull, well, let’s just say that sometime between now and then I’ll put it in my notes to check in. Otherwise — oh look a squirrel! You see where this is going.

The fest posted these additions one at a time in hourly increments. I’ve compiled and edited those posts a bit to make it all one thing. If anyone notices/minds/etc., I’m glad to talk through whatever’s on your mind.

Right on. Here’s the latest:

The first announcement of the day for ReykjaDoom Fest 2024 is Kælan Mikla!

The goth witches will honour us with cold dark synth pop.

Come dance with us through the night.

Please welcome the Irish trio Dread Sovereign!

Doom metal so old school there is still black metal influence in it. Couple of the members are no strangers to Iceland, as they have performed here with Primordial, Malthusian and Conan.

Dread Sovereign will start the occult at ReykjaDoom Fest 2024.

Please welcome Slor to ReykjaDoom Fest 2024!

Never leaving no one with healthy ears after a performance, the stonerdoom trio are in the process of releasing music to the world.

Sleeping Giant will reunite at ReykjaDoom Fest 2024!

This will be the first performance in more than ten years. Expect great mix of doom, stoner and death.

Please welcome Volcanova to ReykjaDoom Fest 2024!

The friendliest stoner band you will witness packed with catchy hooks and tight showmanship.

ReykjaDoom Fest 2024

Konvent (DK)
Dread Sovereign (IE)
Kælan Mikla
Altari
CXVIII
Kvelja
Múr
Sleeping Giant
Slor
Volcanova

Tickets: https://www.midix.is/en//eid/89

The last bands will be announced in the fall!

We are not done with announcements.

We got one more coming up.

https://www.facebook.com/doomcember/
https://www.instagram.com/reykjadoom/
https://www.reykjadoom.com/

The Icelandic underground has a well-earned reputation for tight-knit variety. You might see different kinds of metal bands hanging out, sharing members and doing gigs in an inherently compact scene. ReykjaDoom Festival, the March 2024 inheritor of the annual Doomcember, looks this far like it will shape up to represent this stylistic diversity well and offer a heavy barrage in the process, with Denmark’s Konvent headlining and a slew of sludge, artsy black metal and so on accompanying in the thus-far-revealed lineup.

It’s worth noting (at least to me) that this is the first festival announcement I’m posting for 2024. Usually one thinks of September as the time the Spring season begins to reveal itself, but being slightly ahead of the April/May curve makes sense in light of the March 8 and 9 event dates. I’m going to do my best to keep up with the lineup for this one, as I’m interested to see how it turns out and the scope they end up with. Won’t be the last time you see me post about it, in other words. Maybe not even this week, as they note below more names are coming soon.

So then, to get caught up:

REYKJADOOM FESTIVAL 2024 – March 8 & 9

After four events under the name Doomcember, the organizers took the next step and announced ReykjaDoom, which specialises in bringing Doom metal acts to Iceland. The group consists of members of the Icelandic metal scene, with every member being involved with multiple acts over the years.

As Icelandic metal festivals started to appear, there was a need for a doom oriented one with appropriate outsiders given a chance to enhance the attendees. The emphasis was on bringing great doom metal bands to Iceland alongside the best of the local bands.

After four successful events which brought bands such as Conan, Slomatics, Saturnalia Temple and Mars Red Sky, it was time to make the events with even more ambitious expectations and overall aesthetics. Their first event under the new name is the instrumental doom metal band Bongripper, which will make their way to Iceland on the 26th of October.

Their next festival will be held on the 8th and 9th of march in Gaukurinn, downtown Reykjavík under the new name: ReykjaDoom Festival.

The bands so far announced represent Iceland achievements of mastering different genres. The post doom metal act of CXVIII, the synth infused progressive metal of Múr (which were recently signed with Doomstar Bookings), the psychedelic black metal band Altari, debut LP out earlier this year through Svart Records and the filthy sludgers of Kvelja. The first headliner is the Danish death doom metal band Konvent. Their reputation has been building greatly ever since their first album came out in 2020.

Tickets to each event:
www.tix.is/is/event/15762/bongripper-live-at-gaukurinn

https://www.midix.is/web/event/event_id/89

More will be announced in early August.

https://www.facebook.com/doomcember/
https://www.instagram.com/reykjadoom/
https://www.reykjadoom.com/

Konvent, Call Down the Sun (2022)