Well damn, I guess Desertfest Oslo is going big for year two. And no, I’m not just talking about the dirty distorted longform doom riffing and echoes of Slor‘s debut album, Journey to the Space Temple, released earlier this year. This third announcement not only puts Sweden’s Graveyard at the top of the bill alongside the previously-confirmed Elder and gives the noted Icelandic newcomers a showcase to grab ears and eyes, but brings dudely doom-blues crushers Eagle Twin and Norway’s own Cult Member to the proceedings as well. Four bands, each offering something different from the others. If you’d expect less from Desertfest Oslo because it’s just the sophomore edition, all I can say is that’s Desertfest.

Part of the team behind this one is also responsible for Høstsabbat, held each October in Oslo, and both Graveyard and Eagle Twin have featured there in the past, and I’m pretty sure Cult Member played in 2023 or somewhere thereabouts. This announcement begins a series of weekly reveals for Desertfest Oslo aligned to advent Sundays leading up to the Xmas holiday, so look out for three more to come. I don’t know whether or not that will be the full bill — the fest takes place across three venues, Rockefeller, John Dee and Revolver, so there’s plenty of room — or if there’s more to come in 2025, but I’m curious to find out and not just because I’m hoping to make the trip to be there for this one. As the fest notes below, “May can’t come soon enough.”

For your early-winter blues, daydreams of Spring (though actually I bet Norway’s still chilly in May):

Desertfest Oslo 2025 is gonna be total mayhem, and we welcome Swedish legends, and one of the best live bands there is, Graveyard, to town to sweep us into their lush heaven of brilliant, blues laden, proto rock extraordinaire.

Following them, we almost can’t believe we managed to put Eagle Twin on next years bill!

The heaviest and most influential two piece there is. Eagle Twin will leave you speechless and numb. Jaw-drop guaranteed.

Norwegian north pole hardcore can never go wrong.

The marvelous, ridiculous and mind bending chug-o-rama from Cult Member, will surely put the perfect tongue-in-cheek-grin on everyone’s face. You may need to pack an extra t-shirt for this concert.

May can’t come soon enough.

The last band of today is a band for tomorrow. Slor brings the Dorset-doom to Oslo, with their very own Icelandic twist to their downtuned, bottomless heaviness.

Slor might be a new name for many of you, but we know you’re gonna ramble about them after Desertfest.

Make sure to get your tickets – you don’t wanna miss Desertfest Oslo 2025!

Event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/869859364817843/

https://www.facebook.com/desertfestoslo
https://www.instagram.com/desertfest_oslo
https://www.desertfest.no/

Slor, Journey to the Space Temple (2024)

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/