What I like about these latest adds to the Roadburn 2014 lineup is that since the fest is long since sold out (though if I’m not mistaken there are still tickets for the Afterburner available), it’s not like they were booked because they’ll be a big draw. Basically the only reason you’re going to see acts like Ggu:ll, Mühr, Ortega, Death Alley and Seirom on the bill is because the festival digs them and thinks you should too. To me, that’s the whole spirit of what Roadburn is about, and that’s ultimately what makes it so special.

So as more acts pour on, where to stick them all? Oh, no worries, we’ll just add another venue. Now also featuring the Cul de Sac, in the heart of Weirdo Canyon in Tilburg, Roadburn has even more room to stretch out and show off some of the best the Dutch heavy underground has to offer.

Thanks to the fest as well for using one of my quotes about Mühr. If you haven’t heard their Messiah album (review here), you should. Here’s the news:

Cul de Sac: Ggu:ll, Mühr, Ortega & Seirom To Play On Thursday, April 10th!

During last year’s Roadburn Festival, we experimented with using Cul de Sac, a music café located across from the 013 venue, as a fifth stage to host everything from electrifying solo performances to bands in sheer rock overdrive. The experiment was a success! In fact, Cul de Sac proved to be such a great addition to Roadburn that we have designated the friendly café as an official location for the entire 2014 festival alongside the 013 venue, Het Patronaat and V39.

We will kick off Roadburn Festival 2014 with our traditional Hardrock Hideout at Cul de Sac on Wednesday, April 9th (more about that later). On Thursday, April 10th, the café will showcase the ever-fertile metal / sludge / psychedelic breeding grounds of The Netherlands, giving Ggu:ll, Mühr, Seirom and Ortega the opportunity to connect with the international Roadburn community.

Seirom (aka Mories from Aderlating and Gnaw Their Tongues) will start things off. Prepare to be drawn into an alternate dimension as dazzlingly light and wildly uplifting as Gnaw Their Tongues is dark and chilling.

Seirom’s latest, 1973, is a blissful and revitalizing trip. Released by Aurora Borealis, it would be at home on 4AD, too.

Tilburg‘s very own Ggu:ll are in the process of building a reputation as a solid live act, delivering aggressive yet melodic hypnotic doom, underpinned by crushing riffs and the anguished screams of William van der Voort.

Amsterdam-based tonal weightlifters Mühr subscribe to a cosmic doom esthetic that is both hypnotic and pummeling. On their latest album, Messiah, Mühr proves that there is more to a post-metallic scope than tonal largesse and longwinded execution, and the band “succeed in reshaping genre expectation in their own image,” according to JJ Koczan from The Obelisk.

Hailing from Groningen, Ortega is a sludge / doom band that is making quite a name for itself in the wake of three strong releases (1634, A Flame Never Rises on Its Own and The Serpent Stirs) and plenty of gigs, including no less than two UK tours in 2013 alone.

The combination of dark metal with progressive, psychedelic guitar leads, heavy riffs, and front man Richard Postma’s tortured howls makes the band an obvious choice for this year’s Roadburn Festival. If you love YOB, be sure to check out Ortega!

Hardrock Hideout with Death Alley! Wednesday, April 9th at Cul de Sac, Tilburg (NL)

In keeping with tradition to grab a brew and honor the gods of high energy, hard rockin’ action we will kick off Roadburn 2014 at Cul de Sac in Tilburg, The Netherlands, the festival’s official fourth location, with our traditional Hardrock Hideout on Wednesday, April 9th. Doors open at 8pm and admission is FREE!

Fresh from the filthy sewers and dark basements of Amsterdam, Death Alley deliver heavy punked-out proto-metal in spades. The band, revolving around former The Devil’s Blood guitarist Oeds Beydals and ex-members of Gewapend Beton and Mühr, mainline such influences as The MC5, Blue Cheer, Blue Öyster Cult, Motörhead and Black Sabbath, defining good ‘ol, rock ‘n roll played with metal finesse and a pitch black psychedelic soul cherry on top.

Indeed, Death Alley‘s gnarly shake appeal combines ingenious but blistering guitar parts with the intensity of drumming that justifies the present-day existence of John Bonham’s Vista-Lite drum kit.

Death Alley‘s debut 7?, ‘Over Under / Dead Man’s Bones’, recorded on 8 track by Orange Sunshine‘s legendary Guy Tavares and released through Van Records, could easily be mistaken for a long lost gem from the late 60s / early 70s, hailed by collectors as the holy grail of underground rock from back in the day.

http://www.roadburn.com/roadburn-2014/
https://www.facebook.com/muhrband
https://www.facebook.com/ortegadoom
https://www.facebook.com/Seirom
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ggull/343468262357429
https://www.facebook.com/deathalleyband

Death Alley, “Over Under”

Today Roadburn unveiled the Costin Chioreanu poster art for the official Afterburner Sunday after the fest proper and added Joe Buck Yourself (you might know Joe Buck as Hank Williams III‘s side man and not as the prickish announcer whom Fox inexplicably lets call national Major League Baseball broadcasts), and German doomers Obelyskkh to the bill. Considering it’s the only part of Roadburn 2014 with tickets left, it’s worth a look at the lineup.

Would seem the fest agrees, so here’s this one off the PR wire:

Roadburn 2014 Afterburner: The Ultimate Festival-Within-A-Festival!

Each year, the Roadburn Afterburner always deserves a special mention.

Although technically part of the festival, it really has a vibe all of its own. Naturally, the chosen bands form a line-up you won’t find anywhere else. Many will agree that the best thing about the Afterburner is how it acts as a buffer between Roadburn and the return to everyday life, making the transition a little bit easier and whole lot more fun. And of course for those who are unable to make a three-day commitment, the Afterburner provides the perfect opportunity to enjoy a taste of Roadburn.

This year’s Afterburner, set for Sunday, April 13 at the 013 venue in Tilburg, The Netherlands, offers indisputable proof that the event is anything but an afterthought. In fact, it serves in part to redefine doom and psychedelica.

Roadburn favourites and Afterburner-headliner Yob happen to be trailblazers in modern doom by incorporating elements of prog, stoner, psychedelica and sludge to create a mesmerizing blend of heaviness that they weave into epic masterpieces.

The Heads (ft. John McBain)’ residency will culminate in a meeting of the psychedelic minds with Carlton Melton in a one-off Roadburn Afterburner performance. Two of the most fascinating European improv / psychedelic bands, Papir (DK) and Electric Moon (DE), will bring their tranced-out psych kraut exclusively to Roadburn 2014, channeling their mysterious cosmic vibes in The Papermoon Sessions. Aqua Nebula Oscillator, Selim Lemouchi and his Enemies, Lumerians and New Keepers of the Water Towers represent a tantalizing array of psychedelic and progressive sounds to enchant and mesmerize.

In search of the soundtrack to the Pagan apocalypse? Well look no further as German doom stalwarts Obelyskkh will be bringing devotional riffs and massive slabs of slow burning, acidic, oozing doom to Roadburn Festival 2014 on Saturday, April 12th at the 013 venue in Tilburg, The Netherlands.

During the 2014 Afterburner trip into unknown territories, two-man wrecking crew Bölzer are bound to bring the house down, welding the heft of old-school death metal to the murk of the spookiest, oddest black metal and the lumbering heaviness of doom. More uneasy listening comes in the shape of Morne, while K. Lloyd and Joe Buck Yourself will lead you through dark alleyways and ramshackle farmsteads.

It would not be an Afterburner without at least one legendary artist on hand, and this year we are thrilled to welcome Tom G. Warrior back to the Main Stage together with his talented band mates in Triptykon. The group’s highly anticipated return will include a wealth of new material and will, in the words of Tom G. himself, “duly transform Roadburn into a church of darkness.”

Speaking of legendary artists: Avatarium, the brainchild of Candlemass’ Leif Edling, will also be part of the Afterburner. The band’s intoxicating debut full-length easily ranks among our favorite albums of 2013, striking the perfect balance between epic doom and classic rock, reminiscent of Jethro Tull, Black Sabbath and Rainbow.

In keeping with tradition, bands will be playing the Main Stage and the Green Room in the 013 venue, and Cul de Sac. Merchandise will be available in Stage01.

More info on the 2014 Roadburn Afterburner: http://wp.me/p1m0FP-8zD

Tickets are currently still available here: http://www.roadburn.com/roadburn-2014/tickets

For more info: www.roadburn.com

Obelyskkh, Hymn to Pan (2013)

Today, Chicago’s Indian were announced as the latest addition to the Roadburn 2014 lineup. Indian will have a new album out later this month in the form of From all Purity, the follow-up to 2011’s Guiltless (review here), and their joining makes them the seventh Relapse Records band by my count playing Roadburn this year alongside Locrian, Lord Dying, Windhand, Inter Arma, True Widow and -(16)-. Seems like a bit of a takeover happening there, but of course with a lineup as diverse as Roadburn‘s, there will be plenty for the labelmates to blend in with over the course of Roadburn‘s four days, including the annual Sunday Afterburner.

The fest itself is sold out (no real surprise there), but there are tickets left for the Afterburner and the link for that along with the announcement of Indian joining the lineup and the track “Directional” from their new record can be found below:

Indian Set To Devastate Roadburn Festival 2014

Roadburn Festival is pleased to announce the addition of Chicago-based doom warriors, Indian. The band have been purveyors of the finest blackened doom for over a decade, and this month will see the release of their latest opus, From All Purity, via Relapse Records.

‘Directional’, a brand new track taken from From All Purity, has just been released and can be listened to HERE.

Roadburn will be playing host to Indian on Saturday 12th of April, at the 013 venue in Tilburg, The Netherlands, when the crushing four piece will bring their sonic offerings to life.

Roadburn Festival 2014 will run for four days from Thursday, April 10th to Sunday, April 13th 2014 at the 013 venue in Tilburg, The Netherlands.

Tickets for the traditional Afterburner event on Sunday, April 13th at the 013 venue in Tilburg, The Netherlands are still available. Get in on the action HERE!

http://www.roadburn.com/roadburn-2014/
https://www.facebook.com/IndianDoom

Indian, “Directional” from From all Purity

Being more or less a band who’ve got a head-start on their own species, Circle will be returning to Roadburn next year. The staggeringly prolific Finnish outfit will play the same day as Loop, and as the festival makes plain below, the two names are not a coincidence. Very cool to have both these acts sharing the stage, since they both seem to have worked in their career in a sonic sphere unto themselves.

Here’s the official announcement from the Roadburn site:

Circle To Come Full Circle Playing With LOOP at Roadburn Festival 2014

One of the most important musical influences on Finland’s indescribably, uncategorizably brilliant Circle was the band LOOP, and we are ecstatic to be able to announce them both on the same bill. Circle will play their unpredictable but intoxicating blend of psychedelic metal / krautrock / artrock at Roadburn Festival 2014 on Saturday, April 12th at Het Patronaat.

In the beginning, Circle chose its name as a tribute to LOOP, and played incredibly repetitive angular punk / kraut rock. Fast forward 20 years later and Circle will be playing Roadburn with their musical heroes. In the interim time between those two events, Circle have released a bewilderingly diverse and numerically daunting (at least 33 full lengths!) catalog of music that truly defies description.

The one constant for the band has the been the mind blowing quality of their live shows, something we have been fortunate enough to witness at Roadburn in 2007 and 2011. We can only expect something inspired and unexpected as we bring Circle face to face with their influences.

Roadburn Festival 2014 will run for four days from Thursday, April 10th to Sunday, April 13th 2014 at the 013 venue in Tilburg, The Netherlands.

Tickets for the traditional Afterburner event on Sunday, April 13th at the 013 venue in Tilburg, The Netherlands are still available. Get in on the action HERE!

Circle and Pharaoh Overlord, Live at Roadburn 2011

This morning brought a barrage of news from the Roadburn 2014 lineup and Mikael Åkerfeldt of Opeth‘s curated event. Swedish doom maestro Leif Edling will bring Candlemass aboard for a set that contains Ancient Dreams in its entirety, as well as play with his new band Avatarium, and Promise and the Monster, Elephant9 with Reine Fiske and Obliteration have also been confirmed as appearing on a roster of acts that continues to impress in both scope and profile.

Here’s the latest off the PR wire:

Swedish Doom Metal Legends Candlemass to play Ancients Dreams in its entirety at Mikael Åkerfeldt’s 2014 curated Roadburn Event; Leif Edling’s Avatarium to redefine doom at the 2014 Afterburner; Elephant9 with Reine Fiske, Promise and the Monster, Obliteration and Trettioariga Kriget also confirmed for Mikael Åkerfeldt’s curated Roadburn event on Friday April 11th at the 013 venue in Tilburg, The Netherlands

We’re beyond excited to announce that Swedish doom metal legends Candlemass will perform Ancients Dreams in its entirety at Mikael Åkerfeldt’s 2014 curated Roadburn Event on Friday April 11th at the 013 venue in Tilburg, The Netherlands.

“Wow, just wow!”, says Mikael Åkerfeldt, “I am friends with the entire band, and especially boss/bassplayer Leif Edling. He is just a text message away and we meet up frequently to talk music and eat spicy food. Under the influence of… beer. And fine Italian wine. When Opeth started, myself and founder David Isberg agreed that our sounds should be a mix of Mercyful Fate, Bathory, Mefisto and Candlemass. It’s such an amazing honour for me to share stage with one of my primal influences since the dawn of Opeth. Leif has always had a chip on his shoulder when it comes to their timeless masterpiece; ‘Ancient Dreams’. I don’t know what it is, since I’ve always held that record in such high regard. At Roadburn we’ll get a rare chance to witness it performed in its entirety. Maybe Leif has changed his mind, I don’t know, but I won’t f*cking complain though, that’s for sure.”

“It will be a total joy to perform Ancient Dreams at Roadburn!”, says Leif Edling, “It’s a classic record that has been a bit overlooked through the years, and quite truthfully, I haven’t been in total love with it since the production doesn’t reach “Nightfall” standards. But nevertheless, the music is good. Songs like ‘Mirror Mirror’, ‘Darkness in Paradise’, ‘Bearer of Pain’ and the title track are really cool pieces that we’ll love to play once again. Slow, heavy and majestic… they’re my own key words to describe this album, and to play ‘Incarnation of Evil’ and ‘The Epistle’ live for the first time will be interesting… hehe! I could never imagine that I would still be playing this weird doom metal that we started over 25 years ago, and to have a special performance doing Ancient Dreams is totally surreal if you ask me… but FUN AS HELL!! Maybe I can persuade Mikael Å to grab the microphone and join us on stage… I’ll work on it :-)” More info on Candlemass: http://wp.me/p1m0FP-8uN

In collaboration with Roadburn’s 2014 curator Mikael Åkerfeldt, we can’t wait to welcome Avatarium to the 2014 Roadburn Afterburner on Sunday April 13th at the 013 venue in Tilburg, The Netherlands.

Avatarium’s striking debut full-length (out of Nuclear Blast) easily ranks among the best Roadburn-related albums of 2013, and it also strikes the perfect balance between epic doom and classic rock, reminiscent of Jethro Tull, Black Sabbath and Rainbow. The crushing doom of Candlemass may be prevalent through the album, but Avatarium’s 60s/70s feel is also trippy, with a creepy and haunting vibe that makes space for moments of beautiful tranquility before pummeling you with surgically precise riffs of sheer Edling brilliance.

“Roadburn 2014 will be the first time ever I do gigs with two different bands in the same weekend”, says Leif Edling, “But playing with Avatarium at the Roadburn Afterburner show will be exciting as it will be one of our first gigs outside Sweden, and a rendezvous with the international press and fans. I hope we can pull it off!

The album has received great reviews – it feels like I’m 20 and about to make my live debut again. What’s cool is that many of the songs from the first album are written for a live situation, specially arranged to grow and become something more than the recorded versions, and now we have the opportunity to play them as we thought they could be played… or fail completely doing it, hehe. Well, guess we’ll find out at Roadburn!

Anyway, I’m thrilled, stoked and honoured about the whole thing. ‘Moonhorse’, ‘Boneflower’ and ‘Lady In The Lamp’ are songs that have the potential to capture an audience and it will be a thrill to present Jennie-Ann’s voice to the RB crowd as well! See ya soon!”

Mikael Åkerfeldt comments: “At another metal talk / wine session Leif once suggested we should write music together. I said ”of course”, not really aware that I had little time for anything apart from my current business. Leif is a workaholic and all of a sudden he texted me saying; ”I’ve got 2 songs ready! Come on!” I got somewhat stressed out and gradually it was understood between the both of us, that I would not be able to find the time to participate. However, Leif soldiered on, found an amazing line up, fronted by the charismatic genius vocalist-ess, Jennie-Ann Smith and has now released a 12” single as well as their debut album. Hearing some of the early demos made me go ”What the f*ck?!” Wishing I’d shuffled my priorities around. It was / is so good. So fucking good! Is it doomy? Goddamn right it is! Avatarium got a sound that is both traditional metal and something ”new” that I can’t put my finger on what it is. I think it might be the elusive ”magic”! They’ve got it.”

By the time Avatarium hit the main stage on Sunday April 13th, we’re certain that you’ll be enchanted and mesmerized by the band’s psychedelic atmosphere, classic-yet-timeless doom and perfect production. More info on Avatarium: http://wp.me/p1m0FP-8uR

Elephant9 with Reine Fiske, Promise and the Monster, Obliteration and Trettioariga Kriget have also been confirmed for Mikael Åkerfeldt’s curated Roadburn event on Friday April 11th at the 013 venue in Tilburg, The Netherlands.

http://www.roadburn.com/roadburn-2014/

Avatarium, “Boneflower” official video

I haven’t really dug into Earth Air Spirit Fire Water yet, but the debut LP from former The Devil’s Blood mastermind Selim Lemouchi and his new project, Selim Lemouchi and His Enemies (as opposed, one assumes, to his friends), has managed to catch my attention with every sampling I’ve had thus far, whether it’s the song “The Ghost of Valentine,” which was included in the most recent podcast, or “Echaton (Mens Animus Corpus),” for which you can find the video below, under the announcement that the band will play the Main Stage at the 2014 Roadburn Afterburner. No small distinction — they’re in exceedingly good company — and it looks like Lemouchi will bring some of his favorite enemies along for the occasion.

Here follows the official word, courtesy of Roadburn‘s site:

Selim Lemouchi & His Enemies To Bring Earth Air Spirit Fire Water To The 2014 Roadburn Festival Afterburner

Selim Lemouchi & His Enemies will play the 2014 Roadburn Festival Afterburner on Sunday, April 13th at the 013 venue in Tilburg, The Netherlands. Selim and his motley crew of assorted enemies will take to the main stage for a special show.

Selim was scheduled to perform at the 2012 and 2013 editions of Roadburn, but fate had other ideas both times, with The Devil’s Blood disbanding just a couple of months before the 2013 festival took place. Now, Selim will be making his overdue appearance in Tilburg with his new band, Selim Lemouchi & His Enemies.

Selim comments: “I am very glad to be a part of this festival again. Walter has given me another chance to present my works to a broader audience and I am grateful. I have plans to put together quite the performance with many of my Enemies…”

As long time avid fans and admirers of Selim‘s musical endeavours, we at Roadburn HQ are extremely excited about the upcoming release of Earth Air Spirit Fire Water, the debut full length album from Selim Lemouchi & His Enemies. The album is the coming together of many minds and many ideas; four drummers, multiple vocalists, including the indomitable Farida Lemouchi, plus several other contributing instrumentalists.

Earth Air Spirit Fire Water is among the top Roadburn-related albums of the year, and the live performance of these tracks will be unmissable come April.

A video for the track Eschaton, taken from an earlier release, has been débuted today. Selim added some insight to it’s origins: “Jérôme Siegelaer came up with this one. We went back to the place where photography was done for the Mens Animus Corpus cover and I took off my clothes for another swim. The video itself was later edited, I say later as it did take us all summer and autumn to get it finished, the reason for coming this late with it and not releasing it before this time is simple; we had no time. But for what it’s worth, here it is”

Selim Lemouchi & His Enemies will perform at a special album launch show on December 7th in Eindhoven at the Temporary Arts Centre.

Roadburn Festival 2014 will run for four days from Thursday, April 10th to Sunday, April 13th 2014 at the 013 venue in Tilburg, The Netherlands.

Roadburn Festival 2014 ticket pre-sales are in full swing! GET IN ON THE ACTION HERE!

Selim Lemouchi and His Enemies, “Echaton (Mens Animus Corpus)”

If you want to get a sense of the kind of variety that the average Roadburn offers, take a look at the two bands added today. Tribulation: very dark, gloomy, heavy, extreme so on. Monster Truck: dressed like mechanics, named Monster Truck. You never quite know what you’re going to get until you see the actual schedule for Roadburn and, like a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure book, pick out where you’ll be at what time, but it’s good to know that, as ever, Roadburn are keeping it diverse in terms of style.

Here’s the latest from the Roadburn website:

Tribulation To Bring Forth The Formulas Of Death At Roadburn Festival 2014

Things at Roadburn are about to get a whole lot darker with our latest announcement – those most sophisticated of Swedish death metallers, Tribulation.

Having delivered a classic slab of prime Swedish death metal with their 2009 debut The Horror, the foursome upped their game significantly with this year’s second meisterwerk The Formulas Of Death, a progressive blend of death metal, blistering punk, icy post-punk and chaotic black metal shot through with a deep vein of rich eastern-inspired psychedelia. We love it and we think you should too – Hell, Decibel magazine named it #10 in their Top Forty Albums of 2013.

With the darkness of The Formulas Of Death still so fresh-yet-fetid in our minds we’re beyond stoked to welcome the shadowy conclave into the dysfunctional Roadburn family.

Feel the darkness on Saturday, April 12th at Het Patronaat in Tilburg, The Netherlands.

Monster Truck: Don’t F*ck With The Truck at Roadburn Festival 2014

Monster Truck‘s take no prisoners approach to heavy rock revives the spirit of pure rock that made fellow Canadians Bachman Turner Overdrive, Neil Young and The Guess Who legends. They craft infectious classic rock with an updated sound (think Pure Rock Fury-era Clutch) that still evokes the butt shakin’ adolescent energy of the 70s, even though their sound is anything but archaic.

Relying on honest enthusiasm, great songwriting and organ-driven energy, Monster Truck‘s debut full-length, Furiousity writes a new chapter in the story of rock and roll music without resorting to gimmicks or cliches. Their approach is to play what they want, how they want, and it is clear that they are tapped into something elemental, as they were already awarded a Juno Award in Canada this year for best breakthrough group.

Experience for yourself what Canadians already know — when it comes to real rock and roll without trends or labels, Monster Truck are driven to destroy. Don’t fuck with the Truck when they shift into gear on Saturday, April 12th at the 013 venue in Tilburg, The Netherlands.

Roadburn Festival 2014 will run for four days from Thursday, April 10th to Sunday, April 13th 2014 at the 013 venue in Tilburg, The Netherlands.

Roadburn Festival 2014 ticket pre-sales are in full swing! GET IN ON THE ACTION HERE!

http://www.roadburn.com/roadburn-2014/

Even as I was getting ready yesterday to post an extended nerd-out praising the Roadburn 2014 lineup, that lineup was continuing to expand. Four more acts have joined the bill, from (at least) four different countries and with four different sounds. Yeah, that’s just kind of how it goes.

Samothrace, Procession, Age of Taurus and The Oath are the latest to be added, and you can see more about them courtesy of the Roadburn website below:

Samothrace To Deliver Massive Sludgy Heaviness at Roadburn Festival 2014; Performing Reverence To Stone In Its Entirety!

Slaloming between valleys of loping lethargy, rocky mountain peaks of noise and feedback and canyon sized, melodic riffs, Samothrace‘s crushing heaviness is suffused with psychedelic radiation, delivering the perfect bludgeoning atmospherics for spaced out headbanging.

Amidst Samothrace‘s massive, slo-mo sludgy grooves the band molds a captivating thing of beauty from anguish, ugliness and misery. Add to that some glorious, almost classic rock driven guitar soloing, and you’ll find sustaining strength and comfort in despair.

“We are very excited to be a part of Roadburn 2014 in our second trip to European soil”, says Joe Axler, “We feel privelaged to be able to share the stage with so many old friends and not only be able to play at such an amazing festival but also to see so many of our favorite bands and to be introduced to new ones as well. For Roadburn 2014, Samothrace we will be performing Reverence to Stone in its entirety. We are looking forward to bringing our form of Heavy to this event!!”

We can not wait for Seattle’s Samothrace to bring their psychedelic remorse to Roadburn Festival 2014 by performing Reverence To Stone in its entirety on Thursday, April 10th at Het Patronaat in Tilburg, The Netherlands.

Epic Doom Metal Overlords Procession To Reap Heavens Apart at Roadburn Festival 2014

Possessed of such a strong sorrowful and moving air, part Chilean, part Swedish doom metal titans Procession are easily one today’s truest torchbearers of classic epic doom, carrying on the tradition of Candlemass and Solitude Aeturnus.

The band’s latest album, the utterly compelling To Reap Heavens Apart, ranks among the very best Roadburn-related albums of 2013, and we’re thrilled to announce that Procession will bring their gorgeous, massively heavy riffs and majestically morose vocals to Roadburn Festival 2014 on Friday, April 11th at Het Patronaat in Tilburg, The Netherlands.

Living up to the high expectations set by the release of The Cult of Disease EP and Destroyers of the Faith full-length, To Reap Heavens Apart carries the weight of the world to an emotionally effecting extreme and puts the band at the very top of their game – taking every haunting passage at a funereal pace, trudging through eternal darkness and utter hopelessness, Procession extinguish our very soul with their glorious despair.

Heavy Metal Warriors Age of Taurus To Conquer Roadburn Festival 2014

Firmly rooted in both doom and epic heavy metal, UK’s Age of Taurus majestically voyage down the road also travelled by the likes of Manilla Road and Brocas Helm in their prime.

Like their forebearers, Age of Taurus – led by Toby Wright (guitar / vocals) and flanked by Alastair Riddell (Guitar), Richard Bruce (Bass) and Darius Claydon (Drums) – supply twin-guitar-driven mountain shaking gargantuan stompers packed with soaring leads, bulldozer bass and huge drum fills, all delivered with heart-stoppingly, ‘EAVY METAL aplomb. Add to that Wright‘s exceptional songwriting (ranging from NWOBHM to classic doom to seventies hard rock), and fist-in-the-air choruses and you have everything for relentless headbanging – no excuse!

Every self-respecting metal-fan should own a copy of the band’s brilliant debut full-length Desperate Souls of Tortured Times (written during the band’s transition from one-man-project to fully-fledged band over the past three years, and released on Rise Above Records), as it’s THE BEST no-nonsense, genuine Heavy Metal album of 2013!

We at Roadburn HQ will definitely raise our fist and scream along with Age of Taurus on Saturday, April 12th at the 013 venue in Tilburg, The Netherlands, as the band bring back our much beloved memories of why we started to listen to metal in the first place, and why it’s still unashamedly the most exciting thing in our lives!

The Oath Will Bring The Children Of The Night To Roadburn Festival 2014

Hailing from Berlin, Germany, The Oath is one of the most talked about bands in the underground right now, and for good reason: their mind-blowing debut 7?, Night Child / Black Rainbow, puts The Oath at the forefront of the current crop of 70s inspired hard rock bands and earned them the highly-coveted title of ‘Band of the Week’ by none other than Darkthrone‘s don of metal Fenriz.

We at Roadburn HQ are captivated by guitarist Linnea Olsson (Sweden) and German singer Johanna Sadonis‘ perfect mix of 1970?s heavy rock and 1980?s New Wave of British Heavy Metal and felt the irresistible urge to invite The Oath to the 2014 Roadburn Festival solely based up on those two stunning tracks – we simply had no choice as the band is that good! Citing Danzig, Black Sabbath and The Runaways as some of their main influences, their lyrics, centered around death and the beyond, are just as raw and direct as their dark, dirty, exciting, but catchy take on soul stripping hard rock.

Olsson and Sadonis, completed by bassist Simon Bouteloup (Kadavar, ex-Aqua Nebula Oscillator) and British drummer Andrew Prestidge (Angel Witch, Winters), recently recorded their debut album, which will be released via Rise Above Records in March 2014, swiftly followed by The Oath‘s much anticipated Roadburn performance on Thursday, April 10th at the 013 venue in Tilburg, The Netherlands.

Roadburn Festival 2014 will run for four days from Thursday, April 10th to Sunday, April 13th 2014 at the 013 venue in Tilburg, The Netherlands.

Roadburn Festival 2014 ticket pre-sales are in full swing! GET IN ON THE ACTION HERE!

Samothrace, Reverence to Stone (2012)