There’s nothing like motivation. The first Crypt of the Riff festival was held last May. The second? Last month. The third will be in April at the same venue in Belfast, Northern Ireland, that hosted the second one, which is Voodoo Belfast. Set up by Plain Living Promotions, the one-day fest will feature six acts with the headliner as Dead Witches, who will release their second album, The Final Exorcism, on Feb. 22 through Italy’s Heavy Psych Sounds, who are also co-presenters.

Rounding out the bill are Northern Irish acts Elder Druid, Bad Boat, So Much for the Sun and Owlcrusher as well as Ireland’s Tome, which, if you’ve got a quota for sludge, should be well enough to meet it easily. The night will range in atmospheres from dark and crushing to darker and crushing-er, and with Garganjua having headlined the first one and Ten Ton Slug the second, Dead Witches stand in a position of increasing prominence in being selected to top the bill. I’m not saying I’ve heard their album or anything, but I have, and no doubt their headlining slot at Crypt of the Riff will be a treat for those fortunate enough to see it.

Between that and the kind of hunger on display from someone who might decide to put together three fest’s in a year’s time, I’m definitely stoked to be involved with Crypt of the Riff Vol. 3 in the small way that I am. If you get to go, shoot video and send it my way.

Here’s the announcement from the fest itself:

Crypt of the Riff Vol. 3 – April 18 – Voodoo Belfast

Delighted to announce that Dead Witches (ENG) will headline the third edition of Crypt of the Riff.

‘Haunting vocals, heavy riffs, fuzzed bass, savage drumming, Dead Witches will take you to another world… a world of darkness. The brainchild of drummer Mark Greening (founding member of ELECTRIC WIZARD, RAMESSES and WITH THE DEAD) with bassist Carl Geary, guitarist Oliver Irongiant and vocalist Soozi Chameleone.’

Support from:
Elder Druid
Owlcrusher
TOME
So Much For The Sun
Bad Boat

Event page:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1885639041531535/

Thursday 18th April
Voodoo Belfast
7pm | £8 online/£10 on the door

Ticket link:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/crypt-of-the-riff-vol-3-tickets-54102585289

Massive thanks to Goatess Doomwych for the incredible poster design!

https://www.facebook.com/events/1885639041531535
https://www.facebook.com/plainlivingpromotions/
https://cryptoftheriff.bigcartel.com/
https://www.facebook.com/VoodooBelfast/

Dead Witches, “Fear the Priest”

First of all, I know nothing about the band, but I’ll give credence to any event that features a group called Goatschlager, because that, my friends is how you win at monikers. Second, that righteously-named troupe is just one of the reasons one might think about booking passage to the inaugural Crypt of the Riff Festival, set for May 18 in the Northern Irish capital of Belfast. Among the others? Hornets, Elder Druid, zhOra, Molarbear, Two Tales of Woe, So Much for the Sun and fest-headliners Garganjua.

That’s a packed lineup for a show that according to the poster starts at 7PM (multiple stages? all-nighter?), but with Garganjua at the top of the bill, due heft is assured. The Leicestershire, UK, doomers issued their four-song A Voyage in Solitude full-length in Jan. 2017 and brought together extreme sludge, post-YOB rollout, Paradise Lost and Pallbearer-style woefulness and flourish of Electric Wizard melody for good measure, making a home for themselves in in-between spaces nonetheless marked out by an engrossing and dark atmosphere.

If you didn’t hear it, that album is streaming in full at the bottom of this post. Plain Living Promotions, founded by Elder Druid guitarist Jake Wallace, posted the event info for Crypt of the Riff 2018 as follows:

Plain Living Promotions presents: CRYPT OF THE RIFF FESTIVAL 2018

The lineup is finally complete for Plain Living Promotions presents Crypt of the Riff Festival 2018. On Friday 18th May some of the finest purveyors of heavy music from this country and beyond lay waste to the subterranean Crypt of the Riff.

So stoked to announce Garganjua (Leicestershire) as headliners. Still 5 months to go but that leaves plenty of time to invest in worthwhile ear protection and/or get tickets.

Full lineup:
Garganjua
Hornets
Elder Druid
zhOra
MOLARBEAR
Two Tales of Woe
So Much For The Sun
Goatschlager

Date: Friday 18th May 2018
Venue: Bar Sub, Mandela Hall, Belfast
Tickets: £8 online / £10 on the door
18+

Event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1780384045329089/
Ticket link: http://www.wegottickets.com/event/422378

https://www.facebook.com/plainlivingpromotions/

Garganjua, A Voyage in Solitude (2017)