Notes From Cosmic Sonic Rendezvous in Brooklyn, NYC, 05.24.26
Posted in Reviews on May 25th, 2026 by JJ Koczan
Eyehategod
More rain, or at least mist, but it’s Spring and somehow it’s reassuring that water still falls from the sky without seering your flesh when it touches you, so whatever. My back by the end of the night before had been movement-preventative, which I’ll just say was not encouraging on multiple levels, and I did not manage to get the Doan’s I’d hoped to. I bought a new vape though, and realized in the process that somewhere in the previous 48 hours, I had lost my debit card.
So it had been a mixed-bag morning, I guess. I saw my family, briefly, and that was a positive. They were going to the movies early and I think crashing out the rest of the day, or at least that’s what the weather warranted. The Patient Mrs. was very purposefully giving me space this weekend to do this. It was and is appreciated.
There was a late change to the evening’s schedule. Here’s what Kaleb Riser from Black Moon Cult posted:
SUN May 24
COSMIC STAGE – Brooklyn Monarch
11:25 Pentagram 60min+
10:00 Eyehategod 60min
8:30 Legions of Doom 60min+
7:05 The Obsessed 60min
5:45 Sacri Monti 60min
4:45 Dave Hill
SONIC STAGE – The Woodshop
45min sets
12:10 Mick’s Jaguar
11:10 Magick Potion
10:15 Carousel
9:40 Sphaèros Possession
8:40 Ike’s Wasted World
7:30 Black Moon Cult
6:30 Cats Eye
5:30 Sabbath Warlock
It would be a different kind of night than the one prior, with not none but less of the rush from one spot to the other. The change was that the night was at The Monarch and The Woodshop, instead of The Meadows and The Woodshop. The Monarch is a bigger space, and the lineup booked for it made that make sense. In the meantime, the Carousel reunion and Magick Potion were probably how my night was going to end given how I was feeling, and neither was a thing to complain about.
Spit Shine
I was stoked that, like night one, there were a few bands that I’d never seen before, and that started with Spit Shine, who weren’t on that schedule but I think were originally going to play outside in the courtyard between Monarch and Woodshop, but for the weather. Very classic heavy rock, like ’70s but not necessarily boogie, as interchangeable as those two ideas have become. USDA beefier in tone and more of a roll-groove than a shuffle, though some of that too, they pulled an early crowd that was already more peopled than the day before had been, and so it would go. They covered Robert Trower and that was a lot of fun early in the day. Their singer was at the merch table even before the rest of the band was done playing. Working.
I was able to catch the start of Sabbath Warlock, whose doom rocking cult vibe was a turn, aesthetic-wise, from Spit Shine, despite the continuity of leather. I had Sacri Monti on the schedule next, so made my way toward the big stage for that; through the corridor, as it were. Turned out I was early, but there were friends in the room and I didn’t die. It was after 6PM when they went on, and the classic warmth of their prog-heavy rock, organ and all, would’ve been welcome anytime. Underrated for the soul, for sure, but I mean, those cats can play. I knew I wouldn’t be seeing all of it, so I took a few minutes to enjoy and watch, just to kind of put myself in the moment with that groove, and I didn’t regret that.
Sabbath Warlock
Sacri Monti
They were a similar joy last summer at Freak Valley (review here) with the songs from 2024’s Retrieval (review here) landing particularly hard, and with a bit of magic too them. They’ve toured enough that the chemistry shouldn’t be a surprise, but they know, each of them, where the other is at every point in every song while also being individually dug-in to playing, and I guess the professionalism underlying that hit me.
I had wanted to see Cat’s Eye, but stuck it out as long as I could. I’d ultimately spend more time in The Woodshop, but that was just how the night went. Fucking Eyehategod were gonna play. There was a kind of tension in the room, or at least in me. Some Dozer came on, and then the band went on too, and that was good. As I understood it, Cats Eye is made in part of former members of Carousel who were not participating in the reunion later that night — part of me feels like I should be able to keep track of these things by now, but shit, it’s hard — and so I was curious to see what they would sound like. Unsurprisingly, there was a lot of classic riffing in there, and it was super-nice to see Jake Leger (ex-Bang, among others) on drums, and I dug it that Gero von Dehn’s vocal lent a grunge edge, which was cool and distinctive. Ron looked pleased. You know Ron.
Cats Eye
The Obsessed
My timing for getting to the front of the stage for The Obsessed worked, which was a nice first. Scott “Wino” Weinrich and Jason Taylor on guitar and Chris Angleberger on bass, Bob Pantella, who had destroyed the night before with The Atomic Bitchwax, locking in a much different, less frenetic groove for the most part — not that The Obsessed don’t have their motor riffs — to suit Angleberger’s bass punching through, Taylor and Wino holding down the utmost of doom rock riffing. They also came through Jersey last year, and, well, they probably didn’t need to do that as a career choice, so it was appreciated.
Black Moon Cult were my must for the day, and I hope when you look at the lineup that tells you something. It was my first time seeing the Ohio heavy psych rockers fronted by the slick guitar and vocals of Kaleb Riser, and yeah, I’ll bite on the cliché that it probably won’t be the last, because, uh, it most likely won’t. Their 2025 album, Ophidian Future (The Children of Yig) (review here) was a favorite from last year, and the songs were recognizable live, which especially in this case was great. “Stoned Ape” was a hit, and closing with “At the Realms of Madness,” that chug, was the right call. I could see and hear quickly why I’ve heard so many excellent things about Black Moon Cult live, and they were all justified. I watched the whole set. Only my second full set of the weekend at that point. And they might’ve been band of the weekend.
So yeah, if I have anything to say about it, I’ll see them again. Potential out the wazoo.
Black Moon Cult
I was indeed able to get over to The Monarch to get up front door Legions of Doom, whom I saw earlier this Spring as The Skull with Acid Bath (review here). Okay, so I’m not sure where one band ends and the other starts these days, but I think that’s something that gets hashed out over time, and Legions of Doom — with Karl Agell having maybe the best time on vocals — where a doomly follow-up to The Obsessed, sort of a supergroup but really just a band with a pedigree. They’d be the last ones I’d try to take pictures of in The Monarch (did I see Monster Magnet here? no.), but there was still plenty of night left when I watched Legions of Doom’s full set. They do really well on a big stage.
Legions of Doom played a Desertfest New York pre-party in 2024 (review here) and that night they opened with C.O.C.’s “Dance of the Dead,” and had Scott Reagers swapping in on vocals. This was much more of a working-band, been-on-the-road-a-few-nights kind of show. The Skull’s “For Those Which Are Asleep” and “Send Judas Down” and Holzner shouted out the memory of Dave Sweetapple of Tee Pee Records, not to mention several of its bands, and it was clear he wasn’t the only one remembering him, and of course that’s sad in a way, but nice too. Then they went back to dooming the fark out. They seemed set to end again with “Psychotic Reaction” (Trouble), and set about making it their own, but asked if they had time for one more, Agell dedicated it to Reed Mullin and they finished with “Dance of the Dead.” I didn’t run up front, but for sure made my way with some urgency once I realized what was coming.
Legion of Doom w/ Earl Lundy from Shadow Witch
I hadn’t yet had my dose of dark-acid ritualizing, and Sphaèros Possession had played night one and the pre-show as well. Sphaèros came out of French heavy psych weirdos Aqua Nebula Oscillator, but this was a different kind of trip, with emphasis on the ceremony that brought dancers out of the crowd, and while there were a only couple drums handled by someone in what looked to be a cloak of elvish make, it was enough to go with all that cosmic swirl. Next door, Eyehategod were about to Eyehategod the big room to pieces, and I decided to take the short walk over and get a bit of that in my brain. No regrets. It was just a few minutes, but it had been a couple years and they’re Eyehategod, so, you know, show up. Sludge would probably exist without them, but it wouldn’t be nearly as disaffected. They remain more punk than punk.
It was a headliner set for Eyehategod even with Pentagram on the bill after, and that was cool, but I’d been waiting all day for Carousel and was stoked to see Dave Wheeler back at it with Justin Sherrell (Somnuri; I forgot he was in this band for a while), founding bassist Jim Wilson and guitarist Jason Sichi [thanks Gero –ed.] from Wheeler’s other band, Limousine Beach. They took all of 30 seconds to remind me why I was so excited to see them play. Wheeler noted it was their first show in 10 years, and I noted before they went on that the setlist had a song called “New Jam” on it. Cool to think they might really get back at it. I’m all for the reunion. They sounded great. Bluesy, heavy, with Wheeler’s vocals on point for the classic style. They called it a day in 2016. I hope this isn’t the last show they do for a decade.
Sphaèros Possession
It was coming on 11PM, and I was pleased to feel like I was in better condition than I had been the evening before. I got to talk to a lot of people — I even signed one dude’s jacket and he had had Tim Bugbee sign the other side; talk about company I’m not worthy to keep. Eyehategod had finished, but I was in The Woodshop anyhow, Wheeler pointing out before they played “2113” that two of the members who played on it were here with Cats Eye earlier in the day. I’m assuming one of them is guitarist John Dziuban? In any case, Carousel coming back felt like probably as much as it could for a band from Pittsburgh playing NYC, and I was glad to see them again after so long. I had some good times watching them play and was glad to add another one to that list.
Magick Potion were my end to the night. I knew better than to try to get up front to shoot Pentagram, but that stage was running basically on time, so I did get to watch a bit of it; Tony Reed forever, man. And Henry Vasquez drumming. Some day I’ll tell you about my non-toxic/subservient lyrical headcannon rewrite of “Forever My Queen.” Don’t hold your breath.
Carousel
I was ready to go when Carousel were done, existentially and otherwise, but I wanted to see Magick Potion. The Baltimorean boogie outfit — how many times this weekend have I used the word boogie? so many — like The Obsessed, and in the company of Electric Citizen, played my hometown last year, and again, forever-points. I could stick around for a little longer to see them.
Knowing on some level what was coming was not a detriment to the experience of seeing them again. Carousel had laid waste, so Magick Potion had a bit of a rebuild, and even with the holiday Monday, the crowd had begun to thin out. Fair enough. Not that I wasn’t feeling it too. But a bit of Magick Potion’s softshoe was a salve. You could hear Pentagram through the open door between songs, but once they were playing it didn’t matter. Once the music started, everything was fine. They easily made it worth it to have stuck around, and their chops-heavy take was as sweet a finale as I could’ve hoped for.
Magick Potion
Way there was Solace and The Claypool Lennon Delirium. Way home was Ealdor Bealu and Buzzard.
Thanks for reading. Thanks to Kenny and all at Tee Pee Records. Thanks to everybody who said hi and/or hung out. Thanks to Andy Goldstein and Erik Larson. Thanks to The Patient Mrs. for the weekend time.
Real quick before you go if you’re still here. You may have noticed I used photo captions on these two reviews. I’ve never done that before and if you have a second to let me know in the comments if that’s cool for you or you don’t care or it looks stupid, really any and all opinions valid. I don’t think I’d do it for every review, but something like this where the subject and image aren’t broken up each into their own section, it sort of made sense to me. I’d very much appreciate any feedback you have.
This post is it for today. Maybe also for tomorrow, we’ll see.
