This news came in on Friday, and it’s worth marking that Bob Pantella — who currently holds the throne in Monster Magnet and The Atomic Bitchwax, but has had a career going back more than three decades to his time in Raging Slab, and he’s been in Riotgod, Cycle of Pain and sundry other bands around the New Jersey underground — has joined The Obsessed on drums. The Wino-fronted doom legends, with guitarist Jason Taylor (Sierra), who joined in 2022, and bassist Chris Angleberger, who came into the band replacing Reid Raley, also of Arkansas’ Rwake.

Like Pentagram and Trouble, both contemporaries and fellow stewards of US doom — missing off that list is another band in which Wino has taken part: Saint Vitus — The Obsessed have seen a host of players come and go over the decades, and as they continue to support last year’s Gilded Sorrow (review here) with a run of festivals and club dates this Fall in Europe, the fifth member of the band would seem to be momentum. Pantella comes into the four-piece in place of Brian Costantino — whose name at least I don’t have to continue to spell wrong when writing about the band — who had joined up with Wino circa 2014 and the Spirit Caravan reunion that led to The Obsessed‘s full-time comeback, continuing the singular winding path of Wino‘s career, obviously ongoing.

The PR wire made it official:

THE OBSESSED: Bob Pantella joins as new drummer!

Iconic architects of American doom metal THE OBSESSED announce a seismic shift behind the kit as drummer Brian Costantino steps away, passing the torch to none other than Bob Pantella—the powerhouse percussionist known for his crushing work with Monster Magnet and The Atomic Bitchwax. The band will embark on an extensive European tour including several festival appearances this fall.

As the band bids farewell to one brother in arms, they welcome heavy rock titan Bob Pantella, whose explosive energy and veteran prowess promise to ignite The Obsessed’s signature sound with fresh, primal fire. Says frontman Scott “Wino” Weinrich: “After The Obsessed drummer Brian Costantino recently stepped away from the band due to personal reasons, we are very happy to welcome Bob Pantella into The Obsessed. I have known Bob for many years and have always admired his skills behind the drums, and after our initial jam together, we are inspired and ready to rock. You may already know him from his other excellent bands The Atomic Bitchwax, Monster Magnet and Raging Slab. We are proud to welcome Bob into The Obsessed.“

The Obsessed returned last year after a seven-year absence with their acclaimed new album “Gilded Sorrow” on independent Californian label Ripple Music. “Gilded Sorrow” is a defiantly abrasive, crushing and straightforward album that has already left an indelible mark on the heavy music landscape. The newly forged lineup will storm Europe this fall to perform their 1994 cornerstone album “The Church Within” in its entirety, including appearances at Desertfest, Up In Smoke and Keep It Low festivals.

The Obsessed European tour 2025:
01.10.25 DE Wiesbaden – Schlachthof
02.10.25 DE Ulm – Roxy
03.10.25 DE Würzburg – Keep It True Festival
04.10.25 DE Karlsruhe – Stadtmitte
05.10.25 CH Pratteln – Up In Smoke Festival
06.10.25 IT Milano – Legend
08.10.25 AT Vienna – Arena
09.10.25 AT Innsbruck – P.M.K.
10.10.25 CRO Zagreb – Mochvara
11.10.25 DE Munich – Keep It Low Festival
12.10.25 DE Leipzig – Ut Connewitz
13.10.25 DE Berlin – Zukunft
15.10.25 DE Cologne – Volta
16.10.25 DE Bielefeld – Forum
17.10.25 BE Antwerpen – Desertfest Belgium
18.10.25 NL Deventer – Burgerweeshuis
20.10.25 UK Bradford – The Underground
21.10.25 UK Manchester – Star & Garter
22.10.25 UK Milton Keynes – The Craufurd Arms
23.10.25 UK London – The Dome
24.10.25 NL Rotterdam – Grounds
25.10.25 DE Hamburg – Lazy Bones Festival

https://theobsessed.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/theobsessedofficial
https://www.facebook.com/TheObsessedOfficial

http://www.ripple-music.com/
https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/ripplemusic/
https://www.facebook.com/theripplemusic/

The Obsessed, Gilded Sorrow (2024)

Perhaps some extra interest in seeing how the lineup for Desertfest Belgium 2025 takes shape over the next few months considering how heartwrenching the bill for 2024 was. They have not gone small to answer that question in this first reveal — you can see the names for yourself on the poster below — which covers a range of styles and has an according geographic reach. Note New Mexico’s Blue Heron taking part, supporting their rightfully-well-received 2024 LP, Everything Fades (review here), and note Lowrider because it’s notable anytime they play anywhere. Go them both, along with the rest, if you can.

As regards “the rest,” the names are their own best argument, I guess. Desertfest Belgium has become an integral part of the Fall underground touring circuit, a nexus point where various individual tours converge and split off again, so I’ll be interested to see, say, who The Obsessed will be out with, or how many times in your life you might be able to say you saw Colour Haze and Lowrider on a bill together in 2025. Just for examples.

So yeah, good start. Take their word for it in the “much more to be announced” part too. From socials:

FIRST NAMES! GRAVEYARD, BONGRIPPER, MASTERS OF REALITY & MORE!

Hi Desertfans,

Are you ready to rip it up? Here are the first names for Desertfest Antwerp 2025!

We’re very excited to welcome this divine & dangerous bunch to our stages:

Graveyard 🌑 BONGRIPPER 🌑 Masters Of Reality 🌑 Oranssi Pazuzu 🌑 The Obsessed 🌑 Bongzilla 🌑 monkey3 🌑 Lowrider 🌑 Colour Haze 🌑 Mars Red Sky 🌑 Psychlona 🌑 NEGATIVE BLAST 🌑 Alber Jupiter 🌑 Hedonist 🌑 Blue Heron

If you are as delighted as we are then head over to our ticket page below and grab a weekend pass for a guaranteed three days of sonic delirium 🪐

https://www.desertfest.be/antwerp/information/ticketing/

Hasta la vista!
The Desertfest Belgium team

http://www.desertfest.be/
https://www.facebook.com/desertfestbelgium/
https://www.instagram.com/desertfest_belgium/

Bongripper, Empty (2024)

The Obsessed stand tall as the longest tenured band led by guitarist and vocalist Scott “Wino” Weinrich, and with Gilded Sorrow — their fifth full-length since 1990, first in seven years, first for Ripple Music, and first as a four-piece — they envision an update of a sound that can only be considered classic. Weinrich, who first brought The Obsessed back to appear at Roadburn 2012 (review here) after fronting a Saint Vitus reunion there in 2009. The path even just across the last 12 years has been winding, never mind that The Obsessed have been active intermittently since circa 1979 as Weinrich has evolved other projects and collaborations like Shine/Spirit Caravan, The Hidden Hand, Premonition 13, Shrinebuilder, Probot, and established himself as a solo performer. Weaving through an initial incarnation as Spirit Caravan, The Obsessed came into focus again in 2016, just in time to play Maryland Doom Fest, with drummer Brian Costantino holding position as one band rebranded as the other and The Obsessed set forth on a years-long course of touring around their comeback LP, Sacred (review here), issued by Relapse some 23 years after 1994’s The Church Within, which for a long time was their swansong.

It is in part with the memory of that, thinking of The Obsessed as a band who were gone, that Gilded Sorrow comes across as so vital. While it’s fair to say their sound has always been straightforward, punch-you-in-the-face, on-groove, riff-driven heavy, that pioneering doom rock feels fresh through its nine songs and 36 minutes, with Weinrich‘s riffing and soloing complemented by the guitar of Jason Taylor (Sierra), who joined in 2022 along with bassist Chris Angleberger — more trivia than anything, but Costantino joins Greg Rogers as the only drummer to feature on successive The Obsessed records — such that as the howling echoes of tone give over to the chugging riff of “Daughter of an Echo” that begins the record in earnest, there’s already a depth of atmosphere that is new to the band. In addition to this semi-revamped dynamic — if you’ve never seen him on stage, Taylor is no minor player, and the work he does here feels more substantial than a phrase like ‘second guitar’ or ‘rhythm guitar’ can really convey; his sound is part of the personality of these songs — “Daughter of an Echo” rolls with a rhythmic tension in its snare pops and twisting nod that emphasizes the seething sensibility that’s always been at the band’s core. That’s evident in a particularly up-front vocal from Weinrich as well, with the production of Frank Marchand capturing performances that feel raw and vital but want nothing for clarity.

“Daughter of an Echo” does crucial work in laying out the course of Gilded Sorrow, but it doesn’t necessarily encapsulate the entire album. “It’s Not OK,” which follows directly, does not shy away from physical threat in lyrics that make a hook of the chorus, “It’s not okay/To rip me off/Got your hand in my pocket on the sly/It’s not okay to say that you forgot/Stick a needle in your eye,” reserving the second verse for railing against journalists, “afraid to look me in the eye,” who nonetheless criticize Weinrich‘s outspoken political views; the line “you fucked up” is layered to underline the point. That initial salvo rounds out with uptempo redirect “Realize a Dream,” which offers due push, vocal reach, and a vibe in its open verse that touches on some of what was in Spirit Caravan‘s jug before “Gilded Sorrow” arrives to cap side A with a shift in focus toward atmosphere, a stately tempo and a structural course that feels purposeful in its contrast with its surroundings and justifies itself as the title-track in offering a new take on The Obsessed‘s genre-setting downer march. An effects treatment on Weinrich‘s voice gives a watery presence adjacent to psych but not really tipped over into it in the first half, while the last two minutes of the total 5:34 are dedicated to a slow, ambient instrumental devolution kept active around rumble, feedback, and distant shred, by Costantino‘s punctuating drums as it builds back in volume and foreboding one last time.

Positioned at the outset of side B, “Stoned Back to the Bomb Age” is the actual centerpiece, with an antiwar standpoint framed through governmental exploitation (fair enough) and a roll that meets “Gilded Sorrow” head on, leaving it to the first 36 seconds of “Wellspring/Dark Sunshine,” which follows, to reset the ambience before a snap of snare brings hard reality manifest in heavy riffs. Less verse/chorus than “It’s Not OK” or “Realize a Dream,” with bluesy swagger in its leads and a steamroller of churn that seems to want more volume no matter how much it’s given, “Wellspring/Dark Sunshine” supports the mood of the title-track without necessarily repeating it, pulling in a different direction than “Stoned Back to the Bomb Age” but not so much a contrast as to feel out of place. The subsequent “Jailene” tells a story of drugs, loss and, yes, imprisonment, with the speediest shove since “Realize a Dream,” and perhaps casts addiction as its titular character, feeling more tongue-in-cheek than melancholy or angry. In the end, “Jailene” rips him off, which the album already noted is not okay, but a Thin Lizzy-style verse seems to make everything alright in the end.

Longtime followers might recall “Yen Sleep” as the opener of the 1999 demos/rare tracks compilation Incarnate. Included here on side B before the outro “Lucky Free Nice Machine” wraps Gilded Sorrow with a last 60 seconds of lead-topped nod and march, it is a standout for its older-school crunch and solos that speak to the Lunar Womb era. I won’t claim to know what motivated the band to put “Yen Sleep” on Gilded Sorrow, but it’s a convenient reminder of where The Obsessed come from in terms of doom — i.e., the heart of it — and stripped down in a manner that “Gilded Sorrow,” “Wellspring/Dark Sunshine,” or even its own quick intro aren’t and show no sign of wanting to be. The Obsessed aren’t forgetting their past, but they’re not trying to relive it either, and that combined intent results in a sound that’s full, modern and dense when called for by the material, but able to convey spaciousness around that in new ways. As a generalization, some of it builds on places Sacred went, but with more years of touring ahead of its arrival and the solidification of the current lineup, Gilded Sorrow is a stronger statement of who The Obsessed are than the return-LP inherently could’ve been.

That is to say, if Sacred said The Obsessed were back, Gilded Sorrow is an expansion of who they are as a part of that. It admirably incorporates new ideas into the band’s signature approach and adds to one of American doom’s most essential legacies while refusing to compromise either in sound or the stands its takes lyrically in “It’s Not OK,” “Stoned Back to the Bomb Age,” and so on. I don’t agree with much of the album’s politics, though let’s-have-less-war is a decent common ground to start from, and in the spirit of the album itself I won’t shy away from mentioning it. If that kind of thing is a sticking point for you as a listener — the use of “snowflake” in “It’s Not OK,” or “young AI robots” in “Stoned Back to the Bomb Age,” etc. — then it matters. If not, it doesn’t. In either case, it’s a confrontationalism that’s part of who The Obsessed are at this stage in their career, and it’s been a part of Weinrich‘s persona for decades. What ultimately defines the record is the energy with which its songs, fast or slow, are wrought, and the clever and considered ways The Obsessed build on their history and recast their dynamic with an obvious goal to keep moving forward. If it even needs to be said, Gilded Sorrow is unquestionably among the most essential doom releases 2024 will bring.

The Obsessed, Gilded Sorrow (2024)

The Obsessed on Facebook

The Obsessed on Instagram

The Obsessed on Bandcamp

Ripple Music on Facebook

Ripple Music on Instagram

Ripple Music on Bandcamp

Ripple Music website

Last year, at what was my first time attending SonicBlast Fest in Âncora, Portugal, where it’s been held the last several years since moving from Moledo, I had a great, great time. Really. When I think every single day in multiple contexts about how I never seem to let myself enjoy anything — a perspective to which this blog stands as ready testament against, what with all the salivating and hyperbole — my time at SonicBlast is among the first counterpoints that comes to mind. I met new friends, I met old friends, I hung out with Dr. Space for like three days, and that dude’s the best. I stood on stage and watched Dozer, singing along and rocking out alongside friendly, welcoming faces. A rare moment overcoming insecurity. The place, the weather, the beach, the people are beautiful. And the music is very loud. For the rest of my life, I get to say I saw Ruff Majik supporting Elektrik Ram. For this I am deeply lucky.

The shape of my 2024 is such that when SonicBlast happens this year –Aug. 8-10, with the pre-show Aug. 7 set to feature Saint Karloff from Norway among others still TBA — I’ll be traveling with family elsewhere. That’s kind of a result of there only being so much summer between school years and my wife’s teaching semesters, so I’m rolling with it. I wouldn’t be so arrogant as to assume I’d be invited back to SonicBlast anyhow, but if the weekend comes and you don’t see me covering the likes of High on Fire, Margarita Witch Cult (who I think I might need to see), The Obsessed, Tons, Slift, and so on, it’s not because I didn’t have a good time there last year or wouldn’t be interested in watching Brant Bjork, Graveyard, Colour Haze and/or 1000mods (who ruled at Desertfest NYC and are maybe recording?), Truckfighters and probably four or five surprisingly hardcore-influenced acts on that huge stage, when in fact I very much would. Last year’s edition was unrealistically good. The photo pit was big enough to dance in. They even had chairs. I’d be back there in a second if I could. Maybe 2025 if I’m lucky and the world doesn’t end (again).

Poster by Branca — to whom I wasn’t brave enough to say hi last year, sorry — and the announcement from the festival’s socials follow in blue, as well as links and the High on Fire single in case you don’t want to just scroll down the site to find it in its own post:

We’re so proud to announce 13 more bands that’ll burn down SonicBlast Fest’s 12th edition!

Welcome the great @highonfireband, who will release the first single from their upcoming album today, @gayesuakyol @sliftrock @thenightbeats @theobsessedofficial @coffin_aus @jjuujjuu @margaritawitchcult @skemer_official @tonsofweed666 @cobrafuma and @silvershark_boogie 🔥🔥🔥

We’re also so glad to announce the first name to our warm-up party, at the 7th august, @saintkarloff ⚡️

Unfortunately Sunami won’t be able to make it to SonicBlast Fest 2024.

*** more to be announced soon ***

🔥 Full festival tickets are already on sale at BOL (Fnac, Worten, Ctt…), at https://garboyl.bol.pt/ and at https://www.masqueticket.com/entradas/sonicblast-fest-2024

Check all the news at www.sonicblastfestival.com
Artwork by @branca_studio

https://www.facebook.com/sonicblastmoledo/
https://www.instagram.com/sonicblast_fest
https://sonicblastfestival.com/

High on Fire, “Burning Down”

As ever fronted by founding guitarist/vocalist Scott ‘Wino’ Weinrich — who makes ready to embark on a stint of solo acoustic shows in Europe even as their announcement arrives — The Obsessed have announced the first US run of headlining touring they’ll undertake to support the Feb. 16 release of their first album in seven years and first with the current lineup, Gilded Sorrow. Joining the doom legends in the endeavor are Boston’s Gozu and Nashville’s Howling Giant, who both issued their own stellar LPs in 2023, be it the former’s Remedy (review here) or the latter’s breakout, Glass Future (review here), which they’ve newly revamped their own lineup to support, adding a second guitarist to play as a four-piece.

The Obsessed, who for most of their decades have been a trio, have also been working with two guitars the last couple years, and it doesn’t seem to have hurt them any. They note below they’re about to put out a new single from Gilded Sorrow later this week, so that’ll be something to look out for, and you can find their comment, what Gozu and Howling Giant also had to say about it, and the dates, below, along with far too many links and videos from all involved parties, cobbled together from hither and yon across various social media outlets and so on. Who the hell doesn’t like a package tour?

Have at it:

Says The Obsessed: “Hitting the American highways with our friends Howling Giant and GOZU this March/April. Let’s see y’all out there! We will have our new record, Gilded Sorrow, on the merch table at all these shows. Stay tuned for another new single THIS FRIDAY!!”

Says Gozu: “2024 looking good! Who will we see?”

Says Howling Giant: “Back on the road we go! Very excited to be heading out with The Obsessed and GOZU this March/April. We’ve got James locked and loaded for a set chock full of tunes from Glass Future, we can’t wait to see everyone!”

3/13 Philadelphia, PA – Milk Boy
3/14 Baltimore, MD – Metro Gallery
3/15 Richmond, VA – Cobra Cabana
3/16 Wilmington, NC – Reggie’s 42nd Street Tavern
3/17 Asheville, NC – The Odd
3/19 Atlanta, GA – Boggs Social & Supply
3/20 New Orleans, LA – Siberia
3/22 Fort Worth, TX – Tulips
3/23 Austin, TX – The Lost Well
3/25 Albuquerque, NM – Launchpad
3/26 Mesa, AZ – The Nile Underground
3/27 Los Angeles, CA – Resident
3/28 Palmdale, CA – Transplants Brewing
3/29 San Diego, CA – Brick By Brick
3/30 Las Vegas, NV – The Usual Place
3/31 Salt Lake City, UT – Aces High Saloon
4/1 Denver, CO – Hi-Dive
4/3 Chicago, IL – Reggies
4/4 Lakewood, OH – The Foundry
4/5 New Kensington, PA – Preserving Underground
4/6 Rochester, NY – Montage Music Hall
4/7 Brattleboro, VT – The Stone Church
4/9 Cambridge, MA – Sonia
4/10 Portland, ME – Geno’s Rock Club
4/11 Hamden, CT – Space Ballroom
4/12 Brooklyn, NY – The Meadows

THE OBSESSED line-up:
Chris Angleberger – bass and vocals
Jason Taylor – guitar and vocals
Brian Costantino – drums
Scott “Wino” Weinrich – guitar and vocals

GOZU is:
Marc Gaffney – guitar and vocals
Joe Grotto – bass
Doug Sherman – lead guitar
Seth Botos – drums

Howling Giant are:
Tom Polzine – Guitar and Vocals
Zach Wheeler – Drums and Vocals
Sebastian Baltes – Bass and Vocals
James Sanderson – Guitar and Vocals

http://www.facebook.com/TheObsessedOfficial
https://www.instagram.com/theobsessedofficial/
https://theobsessed.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/theripplemusic/
https://www.instagram.com/ripplemusic/
https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/
http://www.ripple-music.com/

https://www.facebook.com/GOZU666
http://gozu.bandcamp.com
instagram.com/gozu666

https://www.instagram.com/blacklightmediaofficial/
https://www.facebook.com/BlacklightMediaOfficial/
http://www.blacklightmediarecords.com/

howlinggiant.bandcamp.com
www.facebook.com/howlinggiant/
https://www.instagram.com/howlinggiant/

http://store.merhq.com
http://magneticeyerecords.com/
https://www.facebook.com/MagneticEyeRecords
https://www.instagram.com/magneticeyerecords/

The Obsessed, “It’s Not OK” live at Freak Valley Festival 2023

Gozu, “Tom Cruise Control” official video

Howling Giant, “Glass Future” official video

Doom legends The Obsessed are getting ready for a return to Europe at the end of this month, where they’ll play Up in Smoke, Demons Gate, Keep it Low, and, of course, Desertfest Belgium, which seems to be the epicenter of this Fall’s touring season on the continent. As they do, they’re also getting ready to start the release cycle for 2024’s Gilded Sorrow, which will be released next Feb. 16 through Ripple Music as the band’s first outing since 2017’s Sacred (review here). They’ve toured hard all the while — well, you know what I mean — and when I saw them this past June at Freak Valley, guitarist Scott “Wino” Weinrich qu0ted “It’s Not Okay” as the name of the album before playing a song of the same title. These things change sometimes. Gilded Sorrow is pretty doomed, so yeah, that’ll work nicely.

No music yet from the album — nor should there be, it’s five months away — but as noted, they’re already playing new material on the road, and hey, wouldn’t you know it, here’s a bunch of tour dates from the PR wire, previously announced but certainly relevant. Go figure:

Doom metal godfathers THE OBSESSED to release fifth studio album “Gilded Sorrow” on Ripple Music this February; European tour starts soon!

Iconic US doom and heavy metal veterans THE OBSESSED announce a February 16th, 2024 date for the anticipated release of their fifth studio full-length “Gilded Sorrow” on Ripple Music. The band is ready to embark on a month-long European tour this month, including appearances at Desertfest, Keep It Low, Up In Smoke and Demons Gate festivals.

Scott “Wino” Weinrich is a living legend. In a way, he is the American version of Lemmy and shares many traits with the late, much-beloved metal icon. He’s always been a rebel, loner and an outsider in an outsider scene, pursuing his music without regard for popularity or acceptance. In the process, he came to be considered one of the early pioneers of American doom. All of this began when he founded THE OBSESSED back in the 70s, then pursued through his many other outfits such as Saint Vitus or Spirit Caravan. As a key part of the 80s Washington/Maryland music scene, his music earned the respect of metal, punk and crossover fans alike while often being dubbed doom metal. Looking back, it was just gritty, street-wise American metal with a cynical bent and psychedelic flair, and this is what made him the unique and timeless heavy music icon he is today.

Now THE OBSESSED comes roaring back with their most rocking album of all time “Gilded Sorrow”, to be released on February 16th, 2024 through independent Californian label Ripple Music. Expanded to a 4-piece with the addition of Jason Taylor on guitar, the music is more aggressive, straightforward and downright mean than ever before. Wino comments: “Adding Jason Taylor as second guitarist was one of the best decisions I’ve made because he’s a virtuoso guitar player and I must say he contributed quite a bit of good stuff to this record.” About the new album, he adds: “I think it’s the heaviest thing I’ve ever done. Heavy in a sense as not just sludge heavy, but well-rounded. And it sounds fantastic. Everything I do with Frank Marchand gets better and better. He knows what the fuck he’s doing.”

“Gilded Sorrow” will be available in various limited vinyl editions, classic vinyl, CD and digital, with US preorders already available at this location. Stay tuned as the first single will be revealed soon!

THE OBSESSED Fall European tour 2023:
– Tickets available at this location: https://www.new-terms.com/newterms/music
28.09 – Mannheim (DE) 7er Club
29.09 – Pratteln (CH) Up In Smoke Festival
30.09 – Athens (GR) Demons Gate Festival
03.10 – London (UK) The Underworld
04.10 – Manchester (UK) Rebellion
05.10 – Bristol (UK) The Exchange
07.10 – Munich (DE) Keep It Low Festival
08.10 – Berlin (DE) SO36**
09.10 – Essen (BE) Turock**
11.10 – Linköping (SE) The Crypt**
12.10 – Stockholm (SE) Slaktkyrkan**
14.10 – Helsinki (FIN) Kuudes Linja (first show)**
15.10 – Helsinki (FIN) Kuudes Linja (second show)**
16.10 – Tallin (EST) Paavli Kultuutivabrik
18.10 – Warsaw (PL) Hydrozagadka
19.10 – Krakow (PL) Zascianek
21.10 – Siegen (DE) Vortex
22.10 – Antwerp (BE) Desertfest Belgium**
**with EyeHateGod

THE OBSESSED line-up:
Chris Angleberger – bass and vocals
Jason Taylor – guitar and vocals
Brian Costantino – drums
Scott “Wino” Weinrich – guitar and vocals

http://www.facebook.com/TheObsessedOfficial
https://www.instagram.com/theobsessedofficial/
https://theobsessed.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/theripplemusic/
https://www.instagram.com/ripplemusic/
https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/
http://www.ripple-music.com/

The Obsessed, Sacred (2017)

The Obsessed, “Freedom” live at Freak Valley Festival 2023

You would not accuse The Obsessed of skipping out on doing the work. The classic doomers and progenitors of Maryland doom — if you have The Obsessed and Pentagram, you’re off to a good start — will embark on their second European tour of 2023 next month, doing a stint that covers ground from Athens to Helsinki, diverting to the UK on the way and anchoring weekends with festivals like Up in Smoke, Demons Gate, and Keep it Low before wrapping at Desertfest Belgium in Antwerp. I’ve been waiting for a release announcement for their next album basically since seeing them in June at Freak Valley Festival in Germany (review here), and am sure it’ll show up on the PR wire probably five minutes after this goes live. Murphy’s law of doomblogging.

They’ve got dates with Eyehategod, which between Wino and Jimmy Bower is a meeting between two of the foremost US riffers of their generation — a feast of tone and disillusionment. Dates follow here, and when I get word of that record, I’ll post accordingly. Till then:

THE OBSESSED – European Tour 2023: Part Two

New countries and a run with our brothers EYEHATEGOD

28.09.2023 GER – Mannheim, 7er Club
29.09.2023 CH – Pratteln, Z7, UP IN SMOKE Festival 2023
30.09.2023 GR – Athens, Kyttaro Live Club, Demons Gate Festival 2023
01.10.2023 GR – Athens, Wino acoustic
03.10.2023 UK – London, The Underworld
04.10.2023 UK – Manchester, Rebellion
05.10.2023 UK – Bristol, The Fleece
07.10.2023 GER – Munich, Backstage, KEEP IT LOW Festival 2023 * with EYEHATEGOD
08.10.2023 GER – Berlin, SO36, * with EYEHATEGOD
09.10.2023 GER – Essen, Turock * with EYEHATEGOD
11.10.2023 SWE – Linköpping, The Crypt * with EYEHATEGOD
12.10.2023 SWE – Stockholm, Slaktkyrkan * with EYEHATEGOD
14.10.2023 FIN – Helsinki, Kuudes Linja (1st show) * with EYEHATEGOD
15.10.2023 FIN – Helsinki, Kuudes Linja (2nd show) * with EYEHATEGOD
16.10.2023 EST – Tallin, venue tba.
18.10.2023 PL – Warszawa, Hydrozagadka
19.10.2023 PL – Kraków, Zaścianek
21.10.2023 GER – Siegen, Vortex
22.10.2023 B – Antwerp, Trix, Desertfest 2023 * with EYEHATEGOD

Poster by Bill Kole

THE OBSESSED line-up:
Chris Angleberger – bass and vocals
Jason Taylor – guitar and vocals
Brian Costantino – drums
Scott “Wino” Weinrich – guitar and vocals

http://www.facebook.com/TheObsessedOfficial
https://www.instagram.com/theobsessedofficial/
https://theobsessed.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/theripplemusic/
https://www.instagram.com/ripplemusic/
https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/
http://www.ripple-music.com/

The Obsessed, Sacred (2017)

Quickie lineup update from Desertfest Belgium 2023 for Antwerp. Having previously confirmed the likes of Yawning Man, Shellac, The Ocean, Monkey3 — whose 39 Laps is about to be reissued on Sound of Liberation Records — Dopelord and King Buffalo, Ruff Majik, Siena Root, on and on, the venerable Belgian installation of the Desertfest brand has put forth word that North Carolinian original-era sludge chaosbringers Sourvein won’t be making the trip after all, but that New Orleans mainstays Eyehategod will, alongside The Obsessed, The Great Machine, ultra-crushers LLNN, as well as Moonstone and Apex Ten, the latter of whom are Belgian natives. Their Aashray (review here) album was released last month.

A little context here offers potentially crucial information. What the below announcement doesn’t say is how on-fire The Obsessed are right now or that they’re headed into a new album release this Fall — release date still forthcoming, but I’m pretty sure Wino said on stage at Freak Valley that the album is called It’s Not Okay — or the extent to which Israeli trio The Great Machine tear it up on (or potentially off) stage, which is something else I was lucky enough to find out for myself in Netphen. Knowing that, they become more than just another name on a bill or another act who put out a cool record this year, and if you haven’t seen them and are headed to Desertfest, they are indeed a sight to see. All the more because the tones and sings are so right on.

Here’s what the fest had to say:

We’re thrilled to add a couple of new names to our Desertfest congregation. Joining our bill for the best fest of the year are:

EYEHATEGOD – The Obsessed – The Great Machine – LLNN – Moonstone – Apex Ten

Unfortunately SOURVEIN won’t make it to the fest this year due to a contingency.

Get your pass to Desert Heaven with a Reduced Three Days Combi Ticket or a Day Ticket at our Ticket Page!

https://www.desertfest.be/antwerp/information/ticketing/

Event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1634817843606240/

And keep an eye on this very spot for the last couple of band names that still need to be dropped…

Rock out as you rock on! (#129304#)

http://www.desertfest.be/
https://www.facebook.com/desertfestbelgium/
https://www.instagram.com/desertfest_belgium/

The Great Machine, Live at Freak Valley Festival 2023

https://www.youtube.com/live/L23ANlQENJ0?feature=share