Posted in Whathaveyou on December 10th, 2025 by JJ Koczan
One expects this won’t be Slomosa‘s last round of headlining US touring, but you only get to do the thing for the first time once. The Norwegians generational-spearheads for up-and-coming post-Millennial heavy rock and roll (please, more of that) have been to the States a couple times by now, providing support for the likes of Alkaline Trio and Helmet and obviously doing a bit of beyond-stoner-rockers audience outreach in the process. In Europe, they’re already headliners, both at their own shows and festivals. This feels like a natural next step, and “next steps” would seem to be the band’s collective favorite kind.
As they continue to support Fall 2024’s Tundra Rock (review here), Slomosa spent much of this past Fall touring with Kadavar and (I think) having a hand in hosting the Tundra and Lightning Festival in their hometown of Bergen. They have Norwegian dates on now. Given that it’s Slomosa, I wouldn’t be surprised to find them immediately taking off somewhere else after this, but you’ll note that this tour covers both coasts of the US and in-between. It’s a real-deal US headlining tourtaking place over the course of more than a month. This is Slomosa doing the work of the headliners they’ve come to be. Again, expect more to come.
From the PR wire:
NORWEGIAN RIFF LORDS SLOMOSA ANNOUNCE FIRST HEADLINING U.S. TOUR
BREAKING ICE TOUR LAUNCHES SPRING 2026
Norway’s sludge-fueled heavy groove titans SLOMOSA are storming the States for the first time as headliners. The Breaking Ice Tour hits 28 dates across the U.S. (plus a Toronto date), kicking off March 26 at The Bowery Ballroom in New York City and wrapping May 1 at The Grog Shop in Cleveland, OH. Tickets go on sale this Friday, December 12, at 10 am local time. Full dates below.
Carved from a foundation of groove-rich heft, melodic bite, and frostbitten desert attitude, Slomosa’s sound channels the legendary Palm Desert scene through the raw intensity of Nordic rock. Since dropping their self-titled 2020 debut, the band has bulldozed through 350+ shows in 20+ countries, sharing stages with High on Fire, Mastodon, Alkaline Trio, Helmet, Elder, and more, earning a reputation as one of the most commanding live acts in heavy music.
In April, Slomosa won the Spellemann Award for Rock Album of the Year with their critically acclaimed sophomore release, Tundra Rock (September 2024). The album vaulted them into the global spotlight, solidifying their place as the new vanguard of Nordic heaviness. This summer, the band dropped a blistering 14-track live concert film, captured at the iconic USF Verftet in their hometown of Bergen, a high-decibel testament to their atmospheric, distortion-soaked live presence.
Their rise has earned the attention of bona fide rock royalty: Adam Jones (Tool) has publicly championed the band. At the same time, Brant Bjork and Nick Oliveri of Kyuss fame have both declared themselves fans of Slomosa’s crushing sonic force.
Slomosa – Norway Dec. 2025 tour: 11.12.25 Trondheim – BYSCENEN 12.12.25 Bodø – Sinus 13.12.25 Mo i Rana – BråK 17.12.25 Lillehammer – Wiese 18.12.25 Oslo – Rockefeller 19.12.25 Moss – Verket Scene 20.12.25 Skien – Parkbiografen
Breaking Ice U.S. Tour Mar 26 New York, NY – The Bowery Ballroom Mar 27 Boston, MA – Brighton Music Hall Mar 28 Washington, DC – Pearl Street Warehouse Mar 29 Richmond, VA – Richmond Music Hall Mar 31 Greensboro, NC – Eulogy Apr 2 Atlanta, GA The Masquerade (Purgatory) Apr 3 Nashville, TN – The Blue Room Apr 6 Dallas, TX – Club Dada Apr 7 Austin, TX – Brushy Street Commons Apr 9 Phoenix, AZ – The Rebel Lounge Apr 10 Los Angeles, CA – The Roxy Theatre Apr 11 San Francisco, CA – Bottom of the Hill Apr 12 Sacramento, CA – Harlow’s Apr 14 Portland, OR – Mission Theater Apr 15 Seattle, WA – Tractor Tavern Apr 17 Boise, ID – Neurolux Apr 18 Salt Lake City, UT – Kilby Court Apr 20 Colorado Springs, CO – The Black Sheep Apr 21 Denver, CO – Marquis Apr 23 Kansas City, MO – The Record Bar Apr 24 Minneapolis, MN – 7th St Entry Apr 25 Chicago, IL – Cobra Lounge Apr 26 Detroit, MI – El Club Apr 28 Toronto, ON – The Garrison Apr 29 Pittsburgh, PA – Preserving Underground Apr 30 Columbus, OH – A&R Music Bar May 1 Cleveland, OH – The Grog Shop
Slomosa features: Ben Berdous – vocals/guitar Marie Moe – vocals/bass Tor Erik Bye – guitar Jard Hole – drum
Posted in Reviews on November 25th, 2025 by JJ Koczan
First, a note about math. Copenhagen mellowpsych instrumentalists Papir were last heard from with 2022’s 7 (review here), which, intuitively, was put forth as their seventh album. Three years later, here come the seven songs and 75 minutes of IX. What happened to VIII? Did I miss an eighth Papir record? Now, before 7, in 2021, the trio released the 2LP collection Jams (review here), which very much was what it purported to be: jams.
But if they were going to count that instead of a numbered release, wouldn’t the bump have been before 7? So that would’ve been 8 or VIII or however they decided to write it? Or, alternatively, maybe there’s a lost Papir record. Maybe VIII exists on a hard drive somewhere. Maybe they skipped it out of some Danish superstition I don’t know. Maybe it got lost on the way to mastering and they’re so creative they decided to make a whole new record instead of just resending files.
I don’t know.
And does it matter when you’re dug into the pastoralist sprawl in “IX.IIII” (9:34), after Christoffer Brøchmann Christensen drums drop out (they come back, cymbals and light hits, don’t worry) when it’s just guitarist Nicklas Sørensen and bassist Christian Becher Clausen out there searching? No, to be sure, it doesn’t matter in the slightest. Papir could call their curiously-named eighth full-length anything else and it would still sound as sweet. The wash that’s created in opener “IX.I” (9:23) and the subtle, spacey movement in “IX.II” (10:33) that gives over later to more drift — name the record whatever, they remain. Papir have always been about exploration in a space, whether that’s a live setting, a studio, presumably a rehearsal room, etc. Their sound feels out the boundaries of the walls, bounces here and there, and coming through headphones, modern psychedelia holds few delights as comforting as having that beamed directly into your head. There’s sooth and surf in “IX.III” (10:06), and it comes through gorgeously with the organic tones, effects flourish, and patient delivery that have become staple elements of Papir‘s approach over the last 15 years.
A nuanced conversation between the guitar and bass in “IX.III” as the second half plays out sounds more structured than improvised, but IX wouldn’t be the first instance of Papir toying with the lines between making it up on the spot and composing. I’m not sure if it’s lap steel or an effect, but “IX.III” gives itself over to sentimentality in its later reaches, giving over to “IX.IIII” as the jazzier centerpiece with additional percussion, shakers and such, for extra motor-conveyance, some genuine Earthless-style solo shred in the first half and the aforementioned blissery in the second. That lead is abut as energetic as Papir get on the album, though 21-minute finale “IX.IIIIIII” (hey, I don’t name ’em, I just make run-on sentences about ’em) has its bursts as well as one might expect. One doesn’t generally think of Papir as trying to be heavy for heaviness’ sake, as they’ve never needed that to bring a sense of presence to their material, but their dynamic has grown broader, and especially on an offering that has so much palpable space, so much room in the sound, to hear them fill it in such a manner is thrilling, even just for a time.
Actually, I’ll say especially just for a time, because the truth is that Papir wouldn’t be half as immersive or comforting as they are if they were just unipolar in going all-in. They’ve learned in their years to follow where their whims take them, and the result is a vast and expansive sound, brought into emphasis as “IX.IIIII” (5:20) takes hold following the residual echo of the song before, fading in with a welcoming swirl of, I don’t know, magic? Did I just beat a dungeon boss? Maybe. Sørensen‘s guitar dares a strum and some notes, and every single one of them sends out ripples as on water through the background of shimmering, sun-reflecting drone. “IX.IIIII” is the shortest inclusion on IX, and fair enough to call it an interlude, but the later low frequency — could be bass, could be cello or keys — stands out all the more for the focused backdrop, and the song ends fluidly to move into the penultimate “IX.IIIIII” (8:47).
“IX.IIIIII” almost can’t help but feel more active, what with drums and bass and all. Clausen reminds that there’s serenity to be found in the low end too, and while the guitar floats overhead in a kind of following-along meander, and the drums provide emphasis and punctuation to the procession as it unfolds, it’s the bass at the center of the track and it’s one more dynamic turn ahead of the extended closer “IX.IIIIIII” to come, which invariably would do well in capturing much of the album’s scope considering unless it was going to make some kind of dramatic shift, which, I mean, it’s a universe of infinite possibility, but Papir do an awful lot of work to establish the atmosphere on IX, and they’re veterans at this point enough to know whether something is going to fit. Bigger though it is, “IX.IIIIIII” still very much fits here.
Admittedly, I’m writing from the perspective of someone for whom Papir are a known quantity, though surely if it’s your first encounter with the band — not gatekeeping or criticizing; they’ve been around for a minute but nobody expects you to hear everything; yes I’m half talking to myself there — they’ll come across as no less welcoming. The difference between IX and some of what they’ve done in the past is that the exploration in this material feels like it already knows where it is and it is where it wants to be. That is to say, in their maturity, Papir aren’t necessarily concerning themselves overmuch with where their flights take them, the point is going, and the way they go is by enacting the chemistry one can hear rampant throughout IX. If there’s escapism to hear, as there often is in something so evocative and pastoral, for the band the escape seems to be in the process of playing and creating itself, rather than something specifically evoked by the music.
This means their command is absolute — it’s not a leap at this point to say, wherever VIII went, that Papir are masters at what they do, and that’s not an opinion I form lightly — and while they obviously delight in sometimes just hitting record and seeing where they end up in a jam, going hard or not, that too is a conscious decision made on the part of the band, whose passion and revelry, even at the most subdued stretches, is carried across with vibrant resonance.
Posted in Reviews on October 13th, 2025 by JJ Koczan
Last day o’ the QR, and that’s always fun, but looking at the calendar and looking at my desktop, I might try to knuckle down for a follow-up edition next month. I know I traditionally do one in December, which is so, so, so stupid, even with the relative dearth of press releases around the holidays, because there’s so much else going on. But maybe in November, before the Thanksgiving holiday. I only have one thing maybe-slated for November now, so now would be the time to slate it. Check back Nov. 10? Roll it out on my sister’s birthday? Maybe.
For now though, one more batch of 10 to round out the 70 total releases covered here, and as ever, I’ve basically packed the final day with stuff I already know I like. That’s nothing against anything on any of the other days, but if you’re a regular around here, you probably already know that I load up the finish to make it easier on myself. Not that any day here was really hard to get through, but for everything else in life that isn’t sitting in front of the laptop and writing about music.
Thanks as always for reading. I hope you found something you dig in this QR. Back to normal tomorrow.
Quarterly Review #61-70:
Elder, Liminality/Dream State Return
Progressive heavy rock spearheads Elder surprise-dropped Liminality/Dream State Return, their first two-songer EP since 2012’s Spires Burn/Release (review here), a couple weeks ago. It’s their first studio outing since 2022’s Innate Passage (review here), and while one might be tempted to read into the melodic wash of “Liminality” (13:10) and the way its vocals become part of the song’s atmosphere, balanced for nuance and texture in the mix, and the keyboardier take on “Dream State Return,” the material was reportedly sourced from pieces of material left over from their last couple albums, rather than written new. Nonetheless, the way these parts are fleshed out underscores just how special a band Elder is, since basically they can take a progression they’ve had laying around for however long and turn into something so majestic. This, in combination with their work ethic, has made them the best band of their generation. They remain such.
Following 2023’s Ingress (review here), brash Salt Lake City four-piece Hibernaut — guitarist/vocalist Dave Jones (Oxcross, Dwellers, ex-SubRosa), lead guitarist Matt Miller, bassist Josh Dupree and drummer Zach Hatsis (Dwellers, ex-SubRosa) — begin to step further out from their influences with their second album, the six-track/47-minute Obsidian Eye. High on Fire remain a central point of inspiration, but you know how that band really kind of announced who they were with Blessed Black Wings and set themselves on their own path? There’s some of that happening in the grooves of “Pestiferous,” “Revenants” and others here, and while the galloping double-kick and dirt-coated declarations might ring familiar, Hibernaut are beginning to put their own stamp on their craft, and one remains curious how that will continue to manifest their persona in their sound. High on Fire never had a song like “Beset,” and that wah on “Engorge Behemoth” has just an edge of Sabbath-via-Electric Wizard, so there’s more here than marauding if you want to hear it.
Titled as though they intended to preempt criticism of their own self-indulgence — a kinder-self-talk version might have been called ‘Expansive’ — the second album from L.A.’s The Oil Barons, Grandiose, is working with an expanded definition of heavy either way. Part desert rock, it’s also Western Americana enough to open with a take on Morricone and while they’re for sure laying it on thick with the gang-chanted version of “John Brown’s Body” worked in between the organ sway of “Gloria” and the nine-minute lap-steel-inclusive expanse of “Shinola.” The later heavy instrumental reacher “Quetzalacatenango” (16:39) and their beefing up of the Grateful Dead regular “Morning Dew” as “Morning Doom” (13:49) are longer, but there’s more going on here than track length, as the melodic twang-pop of “Vivienne” and the light-barroom-swing-into-harmonies-into-riffs of the subsequent “Death Hangs” demonstrate. Top it all off with a purported narrative and Grandiose lives up to its name, but also to its intention.
The first Temple of Love full-length, Songs of Love and Despair, feels very much like a willful callout to classic goth rock. The core, partnered founding duo of vocalist Suzy Bravo (Witchcryer) and guitarist/vocalist Steve Colca (ex-Destroyer of Light), as well as the rhythm section of bassist Joseph Maniscalco and drummer Patrick Pascucci (Duel) begin with a string of catchy, uptempo numbers dark in atmosphere with an unmistakable sheen on the guitar tone and by the time the centerpiece instrumental “Paradise Lost” takes hold with a heavier shift leading into the second half of the album, with “Devil” as an obvious focal point, you’re hooked. The vocal trades on “Save Yourself” and the rocker “Joke’s on You,” with Colca growling a bit, distinguish them as modern, but they’re firm in their purpose unto the string sounds that cap “If We Could Fly,” and clearly aesthetic is part of the mission. They didn’t name themselves after a Sisters of Mercy LP by mistake.
From garage-style heavy and psychedelic jamming, modern space boogie to denser, doomier roll and a stylistically-offbeat quirk that feels ever more intentional, Montana-based trio The Gray Goo are dug into this mini-gamut of style on their third album, Cabin Fever Dreams, with guitarist/vocalist Max Gargasz (who also recorded/produced) giving space in the mix (by Robert Parker) for the melody in Matt Carper‘s bass to come through on 10-minute opener/longest track (immediate points) “Intrepid Traveler,” beginning a thread of nuance that emphasizes just how flexible the band’s sound is. Even amid the fuzz and chugging resolution of “Isolation” and the jammed-but-with-a-plan “Floodgates,” there’s a sense of looking beyond genre to internalized individualism, the latter carrying into the marching semi-nerd-rapped title-track, which breaks to let the weirdness persist before coming back around with a shuffle to close, while “Manic” (with Colton Sea on guest vocals) roughs up proto-punk until it hits a midsection of Sabbath blues and gets a little more shove from there. “Manic” brings this to a culmination and some chanting gives over the minimal psych experiment “Someone’s at the Door,” which closes. They’ve let go of some — not all, but some — of their earlier funk, but The Gray Goo remain delightfully on their own wavelength. Someone in this band likes Ween, and they’re better for it.
A decade after his first solo release, the declarative 1974 (review here), former Los Natas guitarist/vocalist Sergio Ch. (né Chotsourian, also of Ararat, Soldati, numerous other projects and collaborations) has only broadened his palette around a central approach to avant folk and intimate experimentalism. “Las Riendas” has been around for a while, unless I’m wrong (always possible) and “Tufi Meme 94” is an unearthed four-track demo of the Los Natas song of the same name, but it’s in the repetitions and slow, fuzz-infused evolution of “Tear Drop,” the vocally-focused “Stairway” and the somehow-ceremonial “Centinelas Bajo el Sol” that Shiva Shakti Dramalays out its most ethereal reaches. The album was reportedly put together following an injury to Chotsourian‘s ear, during a recovery period after his “left ear blew up during a Soldati rehearsal.” So there’s healing to be had in “Little Hands” and the buzzing lead of “Violet,” as well as exploration.
Spectral Fields is the duo of Jason Simon (Dead Meadow) and and Caleb Dravier (Jungle Gym Records), and with IV they present a two-part title-piece “IV A” (20:04) and “IV B” (23:12), with each extended track taking on its own atmosphere. The hand percussion behind “IV A” is evocative of quiet desert Americana, like clopping horseshoes, while “IV B” runs more sci-fi in its keyboard and synthy beat behind the central, malleable-and-less-still-than-it-seems overarching drone. The guitar on “IV A” works with a similar river’s-surface-style deceptive stillness. Immersion isn’t inevitable, and the challenge here is to dwell alongside the band in the material if you can, with the reward for doing so being carried across the gradually-shifting expanse that Simon and Dravier lay out. It’s not a project for everybody, but Spectral Fields shine with meditative purpose and ethereal presence alike.
The second full-length, Resolution, from Denver-based harmony-prone heavy rockers Pink Fuzz owes much of its impact to tempo and melody — which I think makes it music. The brother/sister duo of John Demitro (guitar) and bassist LuLu Demitro bass share vocal duties and trade lead spots to add variety across the taut, no-time-for-bullshit 10 songs as drummer Forrest Raup lends shove to the buzzing desert riffage of “Coming for Me,” while the title-track shreds into a ’90s-style ticky-ticky-tock of a groove and “Am I Happy?” moves from its standalone-voice beginning to a gorgeously executed build and roll, bolstered by the Alain Johannes mix bringing up the lead guitar alongside LuLu’s voice, but rooted in the performance captured rather than the after-the-fact balancing of elements. “No Sympathy” and “Worst Enemy” stick closer to a Queens of the Stone Age influence, but the desert is a starting point, not the end of their reach. It’d be fair to call them songwriting-based if they didn’t also kick so much ass as players.
Having the tone is one thing and making it move is another, but Dorset, UK, two-piece The Dukes of Hades bring forth their debut EP, Oracle of the Dead with a pointed sense of push, more so once they’re on the other side of rolling-into-the-slowdown opener “Seeds of Oblivion,” in “Last Rites,” “Pigs” and “Constant Grief,” where the tempo is higher and the bruises are delivered by the measure. Even Gareth Brunsdon‘s snare on “Constant Grief” comes across thick, never mind the buzzing riffs of Steve Lynch, whose guttural vocals top the procession. They save their most fervent shove for the two-minute finale “Death Defying Heights,” but the eight-minute penultimate “Tomahawk” sees them work in more of a middle-paced range while executing trades in volume and even letting go to silence as they hit minute six soon to burst back to life, so they’re already messing with the formula a bit even as they write out what that formula might be. That’s just one of the hopeful portents on this gritty and impressive first outing.
A noise-infused trio from Vancouver — or maybe it’s just that their logo reminds me of Whores. — the three-piece Worse issued their latest single “Misandrist” in memory of Ozzy, following on from the also-one-songer “Mackinaw” from earlier in the year. The newer cut is more lumbering and establishes a larger tonal presence by virtue of its instrumentalist take, while drummer Matt Wood brought party-time shouts to “Mackinaw,” which of course emphasized and complemented the central riff in a different way. Out front of the stage, guitarist Shane Clark and bassist Frank Dingle offer rumble and spacious distortion, the effect seeming to build up with each new, lurching round as they dirge to the fading ringout. Sludgy in form, the affect presents itself like a half-speed High on Fire, which if you’ve got to end up somewhere, is a more than decent place for “Misandrist” to be. If you’re still reading this, yes, I’m talking about myself as well as the band. They’ve got one LP out. I’d take another anytime they’ve got it ready.
Posted in Whathaveyou on September 29th, 2025 by JJ Koczan
Amsterdam progressive psych explorers Temple Fang aren’t yet finished touring in 2025. They have November dates listed below with Sowt and others on a tour specifically localized to the Netherlands. I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if a live record (at least one) came out of that stint, but even a month ahead of going, the four-piece who earlier this year released a bona fide masterpiece in Lifted From the Wind (review here) through Stickman Records are unveiling the string of dates that will carry them from Hellseatic Fest in Germany back toward Desertfest Berlin, where headliners Crippled Black Phoenix will feature. I haven’t seen a confirmation yet for Temple Fang at DF, but it wouldn’t be shocking if they’re added later, so that asterisk on the poster might disappear.
Lifted From the Wind is one of a handful of records I’ve heard this year — Year of the Cobra, Author & Punisher, Stoned Jesus, etc. — that’s contending hard for my album of the year pick, which, yes, I think about all year because I’m a nerd. Not going to apologize at this point; it’s been too long for that anyway. But the record’s on my mind, is what I’m saying, and it has been since before it came out at the end of April. I don’t expect that to stop between now and December. And I know my year-end list is nobody’s be-all-end-all, except perhaps my own — and even that, some years, I’m like, “Ah screw you, jerk” to myself (forever 2015) — but I hear a fair amount of music in a given day, week, month, decade, and I don’t think it’s a stretch to say these guys were an absolute standout in 2025.
So here’s dates from socials:
We’re stoked to announce we’ll be joining Crippled Black Phoenix on their European run in May 26, see y’all there! 🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈
More TBA.
01-05 DE Bremen, Hellseatic 03-05 FR Paris, Petit Bain 04-05 NL Nijmegen, Doornroosje 05-05 DE Bielefeld, Forum 06-05 DE Køln, Volta 07-05 DE Karlsruhe, Substage 08-05 DE Aschaffenburg, Colos Saal 09-05 DE Lindau, Vaudeville 10-05 DE Reutlingen, Franz K. 11-05 DE München, Backstage 12-05 AT Vienna, Arena 13-05 HU Budapest, A38 14-05 CZ Prague, Rock Cafe 15-05 DE Dresden, Beatpol
For the upcoming NL tour, we’re psyched to be joined by some amazing bands, Eindhoven’s noise-mongers @sowt.band, Rotterdam’s dreamgazers @dazeinbed and our dear friend @ismenamusic_ . See y’all on the road! 🌈🌈🌈
Posted in Whathaveyou on September 22nd, 2025 by JJ Koczan
Heavy progressive rock forerunners Elder have surprise-dropped a new, 18-minute-long single-song EP. Titled Liminality / Dream State Return, the outing finds the mostly-Berlin four-piece between tours, as earlier this year they were out celebrating the 10th anniversary of their landmark third long-player, Lore (review here) and they’ll spend the bulk of October on the road supporting All Them Witches (weren’t they also supposed to release an album?) on stages across Europe.
That run culminates on a swing through Iberia and loops back up to France for Elder to hit Westill Festival on Nov. 1 before likely rounding out a busy year for them. That they’ve even managed to mix an 18-minute track given everything else they’ve had going on is impressive, but of course they’re long since pros at the thing. There’s video accompaniment for the track at the bottom of this post.
I won’t delay further. Probably review to come. Meantime, from the PR wire:
ELDER release new 18-minute EP, “Liminality / Dream State Return”, now available via Stickman Records!
European & UK Tour Dates with ALL THEM WITCHES, Kicking off in early October!
In the winter of 2024, Boston-born, Berlin-based progressive heavy rock band ELDER reconvened in their adopted home city after a much-needed creative break. Following years of relentless touring in the wake of the pandemic, the band found themselves revisiting a long-shelved project: fragments of music written between Omens (2020) and Innate Passage (2022), material that never quite fit either album.
What began as a simple studio session quickly grew into something more expansive. The result is Liminality / Dream State Return, a sprawling 18-minute composition that bridges ELDER’s past and future. Built around stream-of-consciousness lyrics and extended instrumental passages, the piece captures the band in a transitional state, exploring the “in-between” with both intimacy and grandeur.
For the first time, ELDER collaborated with longtime friend and filmmaker Malachi Cull, who created an epic visual accompaniment — a short film as much as a music video — to mirror the track’s hypnotic journey.
ELDER guitarist & vocalist Nick Di Salvo comments:
“After many years of making music together, it’s nice to know that we can still surprise ourselves. When we met in winter of 2024 to start preproduction for the next record, we didn’t expect that we’d actually end up making a new piece of music in the meantime, or rather finishing some business from the past. This track is yet another bridge between worlds for us, a song which wasn’t ripe for the albums during which it was composed, but not fitting in our upcoming album 7 either.”
Although the project was initially conceived as a digital-only release, ELDER soon decided it deserved a physical format. Liminality / Dream State Return will also be released as a 12” vinyl EP via Stickman Records, pressed on 180g translucent coke-bottle green vinyl with an etching on the B-side and packaged with a download card and artwork by Adam Hill. Visit the label’s webstore at:https://www.stickman-records.com/shop/elder-liminality-dream-state-return/
This October, ELDER will be joining neo-psychedelic blues rock masters ALL THEM WITCHES on their House of Mirrors Tour, followed by headline shows in Portugal, Spain and France. Find all upcoming shows listed below:
With ALL THEM WITCHES: 06.10.25 Glasgow (UK), The Garage 07.10.25 Manchester (UK), Manchester Academy 2 08.10.25 Leeds (UK), Leeds Beckett Students’ Union 09.10.25 London (UK), O2 Forum Kentish Town 11.10.25 Paris (FR), Le Bataclan 12.10.25 Brussels (BE), Ancienne Belgique 14.10.25 Utrecht (NL), Tivoli/Vredenburg 15.10.25 Tilburg (NL), 013 Poppodium 17.10.25 Copenhagen (DK), Amager Bio 19.10.25 Berlin (DE), Tempodrom 20.10.25 Warsaw (PL), Progresja 21.10.25 Prague (CZ), Roxy 22.10.25 Vienna (AT), Gasometer 23.10.25 Milan (IT), Alcatraz 24.10.25 Berne (CH), Bierhübeli 26.10.25 Barcelona (ES), Razzmatazz 27.10.25 Madrid (ES), La Riviera
Headlining Dates: 28.10.25 Lisbon (PT), RCA Club (Elder only) 29.10.25 Porto (PT), Mouco (Elder only) 30.10.25 Bilbao (ES), D8 Sorkuntza (Elder only) 31.10.25 Toulouse (FR), La Cabane (Elder only) 01.11.25 Vallet (FR), Westhill Festival (Elder only)
Elder is: Nick DiSalvo – Guitars, Vocals Mike Risberg – Guitars, Keys Jack Donovan – Bass Georg Edert – Drums
The fact of the matter is there aren’t a lot of bands out there right now in the heavy rock underground who could or would inspire this kind of creativity. “Monomann” featured on Slomosa‘s 2024 sophomore LP, Tundra Rock (review here), and the animatic below is by director Frank Marino, who’s had an enviable career in animation — bro worked in Curious George and Futurama both! — and fueled by nothing more than his passion for the music. Which is amazing. Thank you for sharing.
You can tell he’s a fan watching, whether it’s a subtle reference to Fu Manchu or the careful, slightly down-tilted angle drummer Jard Hole holds his head. This video is an animatic, which is why it looks choppier than flash animation from 2003 — not that I was looking at Homestar Runner memes yesterday or anything, but if you’re of a certain age, you’ll have an easier time piecing the frames together in your head — but all drawn out by Marino and manifesting the vision for a story he wanted to tell about the band.
I’ll say it again for emphasis — this is rare. Not that there isn’t ‘fan art’ out there, but not at this level, and not with the obvious dedication to the purpose that Marino put into making this “Monomann” clip, even to this point, let alone a finished work of animation to come from what he’s already got. It’s something pretty special.
Slomosa are at SonicBlast Fest in Portugal this weekend and on from there with their doing-a-professional-album-cycle touring with an expanding reach. Many, many dates follow the video clip below, as seen on social media. Underneath that are the album stream for Tundra Rock and the full ‘Live at Verftet’ set that was recently posted, in case you’d like to make an afternoon of it. You wouldn’t be wrong.
Enjoy:
Slomosa, “Monomann” animatic video
Director Frank Marino on “Monomann”:
Celebrating the fantastic music by Norway’s Slomosa and showcasing the imagination of a lifelong artist and career Animation Director. This is an animatic, meaning it’s an edited storyboard with lots of poses, but not fully animated. This is a personal project that I worked on for nearly a full year on the side whenever I could. A true labor of love started as an effort to display a fuller range of my creative abilities beyond those listed on my IMDB page. Though I am super proud of those credits, including Futurama, Transformers, Curious George, Disenchantment and Supervising Director of all three seasons of FOX’s Duncanville. All of the art is mine and I put everything I had into it. I used Toonboom Storyboard Pro, which is widely used in the animation industry.
Slomosa’s Tundra Rock was my favorite album of 2024 and you should all go listen to it if you haven’t yet! I’m happy to share this original short story with everyone, especially fans of the Desert/ Stoner Rock genre. It’s my love letter to the music that has always been a part of my artistic journey. Be on the lookout for nods to a few of my personal favorites.
SLOMOSA 2025 Touring Schedule 07 Aug – Sonic Blast (PT) + 08 Aug – Alcatraz (BE) + 10 Aug – Rocklette (CH) + 12 Aug – Cologne, DE • Carlswerk Victoria x 13 Aug – Frankfurt, DE • Batschkapp x 15 Aug – Alta Live (NO) + 22 Aug – Vangen Festival (NO) + 24 Aug – Furiosfest (FR) + 12 Sep – TK Deathfest (NO) + 20 Sep – Høst Rock (NO)+ 02 Oct – Florø, NO • Vesle Kinn 04 Oct – Tundra & Lightning Fest (NO) + 09 Oct – Krakow, PL • Klub Kwadrat ^ 10 Oct – Warszawa, PL • Niebo ^ 11 Oct – Berlin, DE • Columbiahalle ^ 12 Oct – Frankfurt, DE • Zoom ^ 13 Oct – Lille, FR • L’AÉronef ^ 15 Oct – Bordeaux, FR • Rock School Barbey ^ 16 Oct – Madrid, ES • Mon Madrid ^ 17 Oct – Barcelona, ES • Sala Apolo ^ 18 Oct – Lyon, FR • Le Transbordeur ^ 19 Oct – Paris, FR • L’Élysée Montmartre^ 21 Oct – Stuttgart, DE • Im Wizemann ^ 22 Oct – Salzhaus, CH • Winterthur ^ 23 Oct – Vienna, AT • ARENA ^ 24 Oct – München, DE • Theaterfabrik ^ 25 Oct – Leipzig, DE • Felsenkeller ^ 26 Oct – Hamburg, DE • GF36 ^ 28 Oct – Köln, DE • Live Music Hall ^ 29 Oct – Groningen, NL • De Oosterpoort ^ 30 Oct – Nijmegen, NL • Doomroosje ^ 31 Oct – Utrecht, NL • Tivolivredenburg ^ 01 Nov – Antwerp, BE • Trix ^ 04 Nov – Copenhagen, DK • Vega 05 Nov – Malmö, SE • Plan B (Garage Stage) 06 Nov – Göteborg, SE • Monument 031 07 Nov – Stockholm, SE • Bar Brooklyn 08 Nov – Borlänge, SE • Broken Dreams* 05 Dec – Stavanger, NO • Folken 06 Dec – Kristiansand, NO • Kick Kulturhus 11 Dec – Trondheim, NO • Byscenen 12 Dec -Bodø, NO • Sinus 13 Dec – Mo I Rana, NO • Bråk 17 Dec – Lillehammer, NO • Wiese 18 Dec – Oslo, NO • Rockefeller 19 Dec – Moss, NO • Verket Scene 20 Dec – Skien, NO • Parkbiografen
+Festival ^Support For Kadavar *With Greenleaf & Lowrider xSupporting Mastodon
Slomosa features: Ben Berdous – vocals/guitar Marie Moe – vocals/bass Tor Erik Bye – guitar Jard Hole – drums
Posted in Whathaveyou on July 28th, 2025 by JJ Koczan
Did I miss something? Specifically a Papir album? I can’t find anything about a VIII — or just an 8, since the album before was early 2022’s 7 (review here). Before that, they had the 2LP collection Jams (review here), so there’s something outside the sequence, but I’m paranoid now that they put out a record sometime between 2022 and now and I missed it. It’s not on their Bandcamp. It’s not on Stickman Records‘s site that I could see. What’s up?
There’s no audio yet from IX, but I trust Stickman, and if they’re telling you it’s gonna be an adventure, the easy bet is that’s how it’s going to go. No specific release date either, just ‘Fall,’ but we’re in October/November territory for promo cycles anyway, so it’ll be somewhere in there. Maybe by then I’ll have figured out where the missing Papir record went.
The following came from Stickman‘s newsletter, which if you haven’t yet taken my recommendation to sign up for, you should. Here you go:
Papir – IX
Copenhagen’s aural travellers are back and bearing new music. True to their distinct sound, Papir return with another chapter in their ongoing sonic journey. Terms like post-rock, ambient rock, psychedelia, and krautrock may circle their sound, but none quite capture its shimmering, elusive magic.
IX is a wide-open record in every sense. From the flowing compositions – which linger but never overstay, jam and unfold organically – to the wonderful airy production, you get the sense of being both in studio with the band and simultaneously on the beach with wind blowing through your hair. In addition to the ever free-flowing nature of the band’s live recordings, additions such as synthesizer or extra percussion appear always tastefully right when needed, adding the perfect seasoning on top.
If you’re only now discovering this band, and you’re into post-rock, psychedelia, krautrock, or ambient sounds, this is one to keep on your radar.
IX arrives in fall 2025—more details coming soon.
Papir will perform in Hamburg together with Angad Berar (featuring members of Weite) this September 18th at Hafenklang. The performance is our very own Stickman Showcase at Treffen Hamburg 2025. Join us if you can and you’re sure to hear some brand new tunes for the first time ever live.
Posted in Whathaveyou on May 9th, 2025 by JJ Koczan
Fresh off their pickup at this year’s Spellmannprisen — where the above photo was taken — for their work on 2024’s Tundra Rock (review here), Bergen four-piece Slomosa have announced a run of tour dates in their native Norway for the end of this year. Of course, in October, they’ll play the first-ever Tundra & Lightning Fest in their hometown, and they have other appearances in the Fall as well, but the tour from Dec. 11-20 has distinct ‘victory lap’ vibes, and that’s fair enough for a band who in five years have gone from completely unknown to generational forerunners in heavy rock.
The post on social media was partly in Norwegian, but it said to translate it, so I did, and included that in brackets below. Dig it:
SLOMOSA – 🇳🇴 NORGE 2025 🇳🇴
Super psyched to share this!! Stay tuned internationals, more tour news to come🤘
Now hit that translate button!
Vi gleder oss ordentlig til å spille i Florø, Hamar, Bodø, Mo i Rana, Lillehammer, Moss & Skien for aller FØRSTE gang, i tillegg til å komme tilbake til kjente og kjære plasser!!!❤️🔥
[We are really looking forward to playing in Florø, Hamar, Bodø, Mo i Rana, Lillehammer, Moss & Skien for the very FIRST time, in addition to returning to familiar and beloved places!!!❤️🔥]
12.09.25 Hamar – Tk Deathfest 02.10.25 Florø – Vesle Kinn 04.10.25 Bergen – Tundra and Lightning 05.12.25 Stavanger – Folken 06.12.25 Kristiansand – Kick 11.12.25 Trondheim – BYSCENEN 12.12.25 Bodø – Sinus 13.12.25 Mo i Rana – BråK 17.12.25 Lillehammer – Wiese 18.12.25 Oslo – Rockefeller 19.12.25 Moss – Verket Scene 20.12.25 Skien – Parkbiografen
Kristiansand, sammen med de forrige spellemannsvinnere i rock, våre brødre i Kristi Brud , og vårt største headlineshow noensinne i Oslo blir også sykt!
Abonner på nyhetsbrevet vårt (link i bioen) for å få pre-sale link allerede i morgen torsdag kl 10!
Ordinære billetter i salg fredag kl 10:00!
Håper vi sees!
[Kristiansand, along with the previous Spellemann winners in rock, our brothers in Kristi Brud, and our biggest headline show ever in Oslo is also getting sick!
Subscribe to our newsletter (link in bio) to get the pre-sale link already tomorrow Thursday at 10 am!
