… Picking up more or less where I left off…

When I got back to the room after night one, I found that I’d left my SD card reader at home (it’s on the table next to my side of the couch; I saw it there before I left) and so had no way to transfer the day’s photos from my camera to my laptop. Fuckbuckets. I panic-texted The Patient Mrs., who generally speaking is magic, even across continents, but there wasn’t much she could do from New Jersey. My next panic text went to Matt Bacon, who came back with a camera store recommendation about five blocks down from the hotel. They opened at 10 on Saturday morning. It was very clearly as good as I was going to get, and I decided to sleep as much as I could if I wasn’t going to spend the next three hours sorting pics.

So I did. I had made plans for morning coffee with Howling Giant, and it turned out Tom Polzine had a reader he let me borrow so I could post the first day review, as well as this. I’m in debt to his generosity, and the coffee at that place around the corner from the hotel, the name of which I’ve already forgotten (again, because I was there in 2025 as well), but to which I’ll return if I’m fortunate enough to be here again next year, is pretty killer. I had to stop myself from buying a bag of beans, but I could eat about half a caesar salad and that felt like a godsend.

Went back to the room and finished the post, crashed a bit more but didn’t really sleep again from the morning, which I guess was fine since I survived. Called home to check in, always in a somewhat apologetic tone because I’m not there, but they of course were thriving as could only ever happen in my absence, so that’s fine. The Patient Mrs. had already checked me in for my flight at 10AM tomorrow, and of course that was on my mind all day. My night would end during The Sword for a Sunday 6AM wakeup, shower and go. Madness does not end.

Howling Giant’s soundcheck was quick and straightforward and among the more polite in terms of conversation that I’ve witnessed, though The Sword at Rockefeller a bit later you would never call rude either. They hit into a couple songs, which I was glad to see as I already knew I’d need to be out early, and was more than a bit dragging if you want honesty at the expense of cool. But they were one of the principal acts who taught the Millennials how to riff, and they’ve gotten due acclaim over the years — the hype when they came out was thick enough to stand on — but 20-odd years after the fact, the material holds up. It would be fun to see them later, even just for a little while. Earthless soundchecked next, which just felt like (and kinda was) me getting away with something.

Some more coffee and chat later, it was time for the actual show to start. Howling Giant were first at John Dee, and people were already waiting when I walked back in about 20 minutes before they went on. Their 2025 album, Crucible & Ruin (review here), remains fresh in mind, and though if I’m lucky I’ll see them at least three times this year, Desertfest Oslo being the first, it was also my first time seeing them as a four-piece with Adrian Zambrano on guitar, my first time seeing them since the record, and perhaps most crucially, my first time seeing them since bassist Sebastian Baltes reined in his formerly glorious locks for a shorter and doubtless lower maintenance look.

Opening night of their tour, opening the day to a crowded room — there was some unintentional feedback coming through from Zambrano’s guitar in the P.A. They’ll be at Desertfest Berlin on this run, and they finish at Freak Valley, which will likely also be a celebration but even though they didn’t cover “Song of Storms,” it was a set of banger after banger as their catalog has grown in he last decade since the first EP. The guitar thing stuck around and Polzine, Baltes and reminder-of-the-difference-a-great-creative-drummer-can-make drummer Zach Wheeler jammed slick while Zambrano got sorted, which took a couple minutes and some light electrical work, then a new head. The Marshall did the trick.

In absolute professional fashion, Zambrano entered the jam and wrapped it with a solo, then they were on to the next song with all the space of a beat, like nothing had happened. A blip at best in the momentum of their set. The place went off first when the guitar clicked on and then again when the song started. It was a rad move, smooth and no less confident in execution than the vocal harmonies been Wheeler and Polzine. In the end it was a monster set and it felt like the technical trouble only endeared them more to the room, as well as how they handled it. Must of what they played was Crucible & Ruin stuff, but the title-track of 2023’s clarion Glass Future (review here), and “Tempest and the Liar’s Gateway” slower but a definite highlight regardless. Even with Earthless getting ready to go on upstairs, I watched the whole set. My neck would be sore getting on the plane, but seriously, who cares about that when they’re closing with “Sunken City?” Fire emojis from here to Nashville.

I’m not sure what you’re supposed to say to an Earthless set other than “hey yes please.” The long-running Californian mostly-instrumental trio playing first assured Rockefeller would be packed early, and they dug in with about a 10-minute buildup and were onward from there with their signature immersive shred, guitarist Isaiah Mitchell, bassist Mike Eginton and drummer Mario Rubalcaba like a machine that gets on stage and does that thing, casting expanses of psychedelic rock, melting your brain and mine and everyone else’s like they do. You expect that from Earthless, and they delivered all the headspinning, all the twist and all the longform fluidity that’s promised when they’re on a bill. And also as one has come to expect over the years, they’re on plenty of bills over here between this, Desertfest in London and Berlin, Mitchell’s slated Tranquonauts appearance at Freak Valley in Germany, and so on.

Adjusting one’s perception of time, a half-hour was fine before you knew it and it felt like they had barely stopped to take a breath, because they hadn’t. I found a spot to sit and let the sound wash over for a bit and that’s always a good choice as regards the experience. The last time I saw them was SonicBlast 2023 (review here) in Portugal, and though the form of what they do never really changes unless it’s one of those times they do a tune or two with vocals or cover whichever heavy ’70s act it might be, every show is different and I was lucky to catch this one, even if I was so worn out my eyes were closing. It was a good thing I wasn’t stoned or I’d have been screwed. More water, more coffee like I was trying to burn a hole in the lining of my stomach, then back downstairs for Blackwater Holylight.

Granted I’m not chasing down all their press or anything, but I don’t see nearly enough people giving credit to Blackwater Holylight as heavygaze pioneers, and I assume that’s a sexism thing. Set to a kick you could feel in your chest and feet both because the floor was shaking, they had all the mist one would hope for in their sound — this would make them a fitting one-two with the grungeier Daevar a short time later — but I’d never seen them play as a trio before and it let their moments of push come through a little more directly, and that suited them as well. They packed the place out, as one would expect, and churned through enough brown-note tone that I thought I might need to go back to the hotel room, but were methodical enough in their delivery that the coolness in their sound became its own presence on stage. They’ve been at this a while now, so fair enough, but the last time I saw them was four years ago and their metallic delve is all the more refined now.

Maybe most prevalent of all was a sense of flow, and that made them kin to Earthless too, but on a much different path in terms of aesthetic. The sampled strings were welcome when they kicked in, but the band hardly stopped once they got going, and having momentum behind a sound so outwardly languid felt like a win in and of itself. They’ve been a vibe all along — even before everything was vibes — but the complexity that maturity has brought to their dynamic, as well as the continued prevalence of melody, made the corresponding crush even more theirs.

They brought out a second full stack for Conan at Rockefeller, and that was probably a reasonable thing to do. The UK omnidestroyers were on tour in the US recently, and did a show in Kingston, New York, with Geezer that I very much wanted to see but couldn’t as it conflicted with life, so catching them here was a bit of bruising reconciliation. They are who they are stylistically, and aggression has remained central, but they’ve gotten noisier along the way while holding firm to the tonal extremity of their earlier days. If I said they killed, I wouldn’t do so expecting anyone to be surprised, but it was so satisfying just the same to be flattened by their riffs and cathartic pummel.

I don’t know what movies were splicing together on the screen behind them while they played, but it was practical effects and violent wizardry just the same — could’ve been classics and I wouldn’t know because I’m a poseur philistine — but the visuals were an added atmospheric element to run alongside all that warhammering and punishment. I’m pretty sure somebody’s face fell off, so about as fitting as it gets. It would’ve been nice to see them without having to drive to NYC last month, but I’ll take hoping on a plane to Oslo and witnessing them at Desertfest Oslo for consolation anytime. I didn’t know it, but as exhausted as I was after Howling Giant finished, the much-bleaker gallop of “Battle in the Swamp” and “Levitation Hoax” was precisely what I needed to pick me up for the rest of the night ahead. Deathly, and even more brutal than the fart cloud I passed through getting photos on the balcony. Oh, humans.

Daevar were on soon — train don’t stop — and John Dee was ready. Their 2025 Sub Rosa LP (review here) was a deeper dive into slow-nod ’90s riffing, and it felt good to see them and recognize songs from the album, as they’ve continued to grow as songwriters over the last few years and fleshed out the murk of their beginnings. I heard a little Type O Negative even, which is something just about bound to land with me. And they’ve progressed quickly. To wit, I enjoyed seeing them for the first time at Freak Valley 2024 (review here), but the Sub Rosa material has a richness that stands out. They felt in conversation with Blackwater Holylight, as anticipated, but diverged as well into their own roll, and that was dense and engrossing.

They spoke out against injustices against women in Iran, which was the only political sentiment I’d heard from the stage in the two days of Desertfest. I’m all for escapism, don’t get me wrong — just as an example, I’m in Norway this weekend — but I respect having something to say and saying it and, frankly, doom needs more of that and less “I’m not political,” though if you think human rights are a political issue, that’s part of the problem too. It was refreshing to hear, despite the fact that every time I think about the situation in my home country I want to cry as much as rage against it. I could go on here, and probably should, though it feels a bit like voidward screaming. Either way, it has been encouraging to see (also hear) Daevar come into their own, and a pleasure to watch them on stage again.

I did some socializing — it recently occurred to me most of my interpersonal communicating not with my family or at concerned meetings at my daughter’s school happens at shows, and that that’s a thing worth investing in — ahead of Dozer, but there was no, no, no fucking way I was missing their set. Not even for pleasant conversation. Every time I’ve seen Dozer they’ve leveled the place, and every time I have seen them has felt like a gift, and this was the same. Fredrik Nordin led the crowd in singing happy birthday to Tommi Holappa, as if the songs weren’t sweet enough, and the band ran through a succession of inimitable grooves like the masters they are. Similar to King Buffalo last night, they weren’t the headliner but they were my headliner, if you know what I mean.

There was a point in my life when I thought I’d never see Dozer. That seems so sad now, on the occasion of my fifth time doing so, and they are a reminder of how fortunate I am to have the life I do, here and at home. I don’t believe in a soul, but mine felt awfully good watching Dozer anyhow, and standing over by Johan Rockner’s side of the stage with Sebastian Olsson’s snare cutting through the low end was a gorgeous experience. I didn’t understand most of what Nordin said from the stage between songs, but even in the photo pit as they were starting, you had to be into it. Electric in the figurative and literal sense. I know I’m not here to pick favorites. It’s not what I do and not who I want to be, but I was a Dozer fan before I ever wrote about them and the ensuing two decades-plus has only endeared them further. One of the best heavy rock bands of all time — all. time. — and an onstage force unto themselves. Highlight of the weekend, highlight of the year. My only complaint is the hour went too quick. A singular tumult.

Where do you go from there? The answer was to extremity, and fair enough for the superlative aural weight of Primitive Man, legit giving Conan a run for their money in tone while embracing a nastiness born from sludge but that has mutated into something next-stage that I don’t have a name for other than monstrous. A huge consuming thing, built to tear flesh from bone, stylistically speaking. I had gotten to chat with their tour manager early in the day, and I wasn’t aware that this show closes out a 35-date tour for Primitive Man, but they were hardly limping to the finish. Lumbering, yes, but strident in existential victory. They are a challenging band, and always have been, but if you can hang in with them, all that onslaught has a reward beyond simply making it through, and they capture something inhuman about the world that has a value bordering on the literary. They’ve pushed themselves as artists all the while, and while there’s rampant disdain in their music, the sheer physical presence of their sound is undeniable.

I did my best, but it was getting late and my head was half out the door, at the risk of honesty. The Sword would be on soon, but with Primitive Man still bashing away to headline the night at John Dee, I said a round of preemptive goodbyes to a few of the incredible people here and reiterated how fortunate I felt to have been at Desertfest Oslo again, which is really the only way I have of putting it. The next morning I’d fly back to Jersey and be glad to get there, but this was a special couple days and as much for the community as the acts on the bill, though, Dozer.

Some day I’ll watch a full The Sword set again. This wasn’t that day and I knew that coming in, but that doesn’t mean they made it easy to go. I found myself hanging in the back of the room trying to convince myself to stay put, but the go impulse almost always wins. I don’t know what The Sword’s plan is as they make the inevitable transition from reunion-band to working-band, but riffs have always been on their side and 20 years after people used to complain about “hipster metal,” they stand tall having proved themselves right over and over and over. If you need a convenient metaphor for the history of heavy rock more broadly, there you go.

I thank you for reading.

Thank you to Ole, Preben, Dan, and everyone at Desertfest Oslo for having me back. Thanks to Tom from Howling Giant for the SD reader when I needed it (and have a great tour; see you at Freak Valley). Thank you Matt Bacon and Kaia.

Thank you to The Patient Mrs. for the time and the support from home. I can’t even begin to tell you how tired I’m going to be when I get home, but hell, I needed this. Really. From Thulsa Doom to Russian Circles and Earthless to The Sword, there wasn’t one single minute I regretted coming here, and if I’m so lucky as to be invited back, I’ll be here in a fucking minute so long as that minute is also an eight-hour flight from Newark. Thanks to The Patient Mrs. for booking my flight.

The lesson of the weekend is the heavy underground is a treasure and a sanctuary. It was a pleasure to come here and be obliterated by it. To break myself on it like a rock tossed off a bridge onto more rocks. Like I said, I needed this.

More pics after the jump. No posts tomorrow, May 11.

Read more »

King Buffalo, Dozer, Pelican, High Desert Queen, Blackwater Holylight, Howling Giant, Daevar, Bottenhavet, Moonstone, The Sword, Russian Circles — I mean, do I really need to say more here than the list of names. Desertfest Oslo 2026 will be the third edition of the Norwegian Desertfest installation, and one might accuse them of coming out of the gate swinging. Some of these — The Sword, Earthless, High Desert Queen, etc. — are being shared with Desertfest Berlin and Desertfest London, setting up the possibility of three weeks of touring at least for a few acts here. Then there’s King Buffalo, who I think are just spending their entire summer abroad next year. Not gonna complain about it if there’s a chance I can see them.

To that end, I was lucky enough to be invited to cover Desertfest Oslo last year and, unsurprisingly, I had a blast. Should I be so fortunate as to be invited again, I’ll go, but I’m not about to presume. Whether I’m there to see it or not has no bearing on the sickness of the lineup-thus-far, as you know, but still makes for a nice daydream.

They’ve got tickets on sale now, as per socials:

Let’s get this train running! 🔥

We’ve been so excited to share the first batch of bands coming to Oslo the 8th and 9th of May 2026.

From great geniuses of the genre, to guitar-wielding warlocks of the wasteland. From divine drop-d decibels, to new necromancers of nostalgic noise.

Please welcome to Desertfest Oslo 2026:

🏜 RUSSIAN CIRCLES (US)
🏜 THE SWORD (US)
🏜 EARTHLESS (US)
🏜 KING BUFFALO (US)
🏜 PRIMITIVE MAN (US)
🏜 DOZER (SE)
🏜 PELICAN (US)
🏜 DAEVAR (DE)
🏜 BLACKWATER HOLYLIGHT (US)
🏜 WYATT E. (BE)
🏜 HOWLING GIANT (US)
🏜 HIGH DESERT QUEEN (US)
🏜 SPELLJAMMER (SE)
🏜 MOONSTONE (PL)
🏜 KOLLAPS (AUS)
🏜 BOTTENHAVET (SE)
🏜 SUNFACE (NO)
🏜 HÅNDGEMENG (NO)
🏜 UNDULATHUND (SE)

First round of tickets are now on sale 🤝

Tickets: https://www.ticketmaster.no/event/desertfest-oslo-2026-festivalpass-8-9mai-billetter/931528219

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

Earthless, Live in Denton, TX, 10.10.25

First of all, this art frigging rules. Kuba Sokolski Illustration is apparently the party responsible for the look of Desertfest Berlin 2026, and I dig it. The colors, the theme, the implication of narrative in becoming part of something bigger than yourself. Oh yeah, and the first band announcements are pretty killer too.

Russian Circles, Hermano, The Sword, Acid King, King Buffalo, Truckfighters, Earthless, Crippled Black Phoenix, Pelican, Mother’s Cake, High Desert Queen, Zerre, and Dope Purple comprise the first cohort to join the lineup, and aside from having me at Acid King and King Buffalo — which, yeah; also Hermano — it’s good to see The Sword will take their reunion to Europe next Spring, and Truckfighters will likely be out supporting their new album, which is due around that time as well.

This won’t be nearly all of it, but it’s plenty and it’s a killer start. As with every year, I look forward to seeing how Desertfest and the European underground circuit will shape up for next Spring. Here’s the announce from social media:

BERLIN, THE DESERT IS CALLING! 🌌

We’re beyond stoked to drop the first wave for Desertfest Berlin 2026 // 14.-16. May 2026 – and it’s a riff-heavy ride straight into the void 🌙

Russian Circles will crush you with their cinematic post-metal soundscapes, while desert rock legends Hermano return with John Garcia at the helm. Texas riff titans The Sword are back to shake the ground, and the mighty Acid King keep the doom thick and smoky. King Buffalo invite you to drift away on cosmic psych grooves, while fuzzlords Truckfighters bring the Swedish desert storm with their first new album in 10 years.

Earthless will melt your mind with endless space jams, and Crippled Black Phoenix deliver apocalyptic rock full of grandeur. Expect instrumental heaviness from Chicago pioneers Pelican, plus wild progressive energy from Mother’s Cake. Adding Texan groove power from High Desert Queen, new wave of würzburgs thrash metal Zerre, and psych-doom freakouts from Taiwan’s Dope Purple – the storm is real.

If this line-up speaks to your soul – better grab your tickets now before they vanish into the haze: www.desertfest.de

DESERTFEST BERLIN 2026
14.-16. MAY 2026
COLUMBIA VENUES, BERLIN

WEEKEND TICKETS: 169€ on www.desertfest-tickets.de

⚡FIRST ANNOUNCEMENTS⚡
RUSSIAN CIRCLES
HERMANO
THE SWORD
ACID KING
KING BUFFALO
TRUCKFIGHTERS
EARTHLESS
CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX
PELICAN
MOTHER’S CAKE
HIGH DESERT QUEEN
ZERRE
DOPE PURPLE
AND MANY MORE!

Your Desertfest Berlin Crew!

Join our Facebook Event for all Updates: DESERTFEST BERLIN 2026: https://www.facebook.com/events/2135415456871801/

✨ARTWORK by Kuba Sokolski Illustration

www.desertfest.de
www.instagram.com/desertfest_berlin
www.facebook.com/DesertfestBerlin

Hermano, Live at Hellfest 2025

Green Lung to headline at Desertfest London 2026! How about that. A celebration on the festival’s part of the homegrown, the London outfit’s ascent will mark a decade next May as the band take the stage at The Roundhouse for what I can only imagine will be an over-the-top, absolutely-classic-metal-style s-h-o-w. Do you think the unspoken part here is a new album to follow-up 2023’s Nuclear Blast label debut, This Heathen Land (review here)? Because I kind of do. Green Lung aren’t the kind of band to let an opportunity like that slip, and you might say that’s how they got to the point of headlining Desertfest in the first place. Also they’re killer.

Desertfest has already had Elder headlining, and if you’re looking for next-generation blood, I believe Green Lung are ready for that next level. Note also the reunion of instrumentalists Capricorns here, as well as Earthless, Truckfighters and The Sword, whose reunion began earlier this year. I was stoned on Facebook the other night when I saw they posted the dates and I left the comment “can I come this year?” It got 10 likes. Sadly I don’t think that’s going to be enough to get me there, but golly it would be one to cover.

This of course is just the start. At some point in the process, Desertfest always drops a bundle of like 30 names, so keep your eye over the coming months and make your travel plans accordingly.

From the PR wire:

GREEN LUNG TO HEADLINE DESERTFEST LONDON 2026 AT THE ICONIC ROUNDHOUSE. PLUS, THE SWORD AND CAPRICORNS TO PERFORM EXCLUSIVE REUNION SHOWS, ALONGSIDE EARTHLESS & TRUCKFIGHTERS

Desertfest London | 15th -17th May 2026

Tickets on sale now – www.desertfest.co.uk // https://link.dice.fm/Desertfest2026

Desertfest London is extremely proud to announce that Green Lung will headline the 2026 edition of the festival. A band whose story is almost inseparable from our own, Green Lung formed amidst the electric atmosphere of Desertfest 2016 and their journey has nigh on mirrored the spirit of the festival – rooted in the underground, nurtured in Camden’s sweat-drenched venues and propelled into the wider world on the strength of unfathomable riffs.

What began as a cult phenomenon has since flourished into one of the UK’s most celebrated heavy bands and now, a decade later, their ascension reaches a fitting peak as Green Lung return to Desertfest London to take their rightful place at the top of the bill.

Vocalist Tom Templar shares the following; “Back at Desertfest 2016, our guitarist Scott, drummer Matt and ex-bassist Andrew met in the hallowed confines of the Black Heart, and over a few ales decided to form the band that would go on to become Green Lung. Ten years later, we couldn’t be more honoured to be headlining the festival. This will undoubtedly be the biggest moment of our career to date and an opportunity to take our stage show to heights we’ve always dreamed of. It’s also a testament to the power of the incredible London heavy rock scene that launched us, and we can’t wait to bring together friends and fans old and new to celebrate a decade of the Lung at the Roundhouse! Bring on the May…”

Desertfest & Green Lung have a gargantuan amount of news to reveal for this very special performance, so prepare yourselves for a colossal celebration of our culture and community with our favourite folklore fiends.

An undeniable influence on re-shaping modern stoner metal, 2026 sees the return of heavy legends The Sword for an exclusive UK performance at Desertfest London.

Blending doom-laden riffs, mystical lyricism and a primal groove that speaks directly to the stoner/doom/psych scenes – fans can expect a career-spanning set for The Sword’s first UK show in eleven years. It’s going to be heavy, loud and utterly unmissable.

San Diego’s seminal psychedelic power trio Earthless will make their return to the Desertfest London stage for a one-off exclusive UK show. Acid-drenched riffs and transcendent improvisations are at the hypnotic centrepiece of these instrumental icons.

Continuing the theme of Desertfest London lore, we welcome back stoner rock veterans Truckfighters to the 2026 edition. Having played the inaugural edition back in 2012 and returning over the years to deliver a dose of Swedish fuzz, Truckfighters are Desertfest family.

Historical reunions continue as instrumental doom legends Capricorns will make a seismic return to the stage for a very special show at Desertfest London 2026. Marking their first live performance in eighteen years and reuniting for the first time since disbanding in 2008, this is a truly rare opportunity to witness a band that helped define the progressive doom underground of the 2000s. If you know, you know.

With much more still to announce, Desertfest London 2026 is already shaping up to be a historic edition, it’s a pilgrimage no disciple of the riff can afford to miss.

Tickets on sale now – www.desertfest.co.uk // https://link.dice.fm/Desertfest2026

https://www.desertfest.co.uk/
http://www.desertscene.co.uk/support
https://www.instagram.com/desertfest_london/
https://www.facebook.com/DesertfestLondon

Green Lung, This Heathen Land (2023)

Before show

Slept as best I could and took a long shower, but stopped short of blowdrying my beard, which for some reason feels like apex self-indulgence. It was the last day of Freak Valley 2025, and that’s always bittersweet. This place and these people are so special, and I’ve made really good memories here the last four years that I’ve been lucky enough to take part in FVF. It is an honor, and I do not take it for granted.

Made it to the AWO grounds well in time for yoga. That was probably the most direct sunlight I was in on Friday (my days and dates are so screwed up), but the last day of Freak Valley was the solstice too, and for sure there would be sun. The kind of heat that kills old people. A father and his 12-year-old played frisbee on the grass. A small street sweeper went by on the back walking path. The drum riser came out on stage. Sitting in the no-smokers-yet smoking tent for the shade, it was idyllic.

The yoga session was once again fantastic — I even got to sneak in a little boat pose, and you know I’m on board for some shavasana — even without snaily taking part. It finished a couple minutes earlier than the day before, so I didn’t have to run over after hearing Volker Fröhmer’s standard band-intro beginning, a hearty and voluminous “liebe freunde” that is as much a staple of this festival as the word “freak.” I played for a minute in the sprinkler accordingly.

But soon enough, the concluding day of Freak Valley Festival was underway, and I seem to recall it went something like this:

Lurch

The straight-up riff rock aspect of Lurch’s sound took me back to turn-of-the-century European heavy rock, instrumental and otherwise. Thinking ’99-’03 or thereabouts, and all those bands who weren’t shy about having numbers in their monikers. Part of what they did was jam, or at least jam-based — at one point, the bassist threw in the theme from Super Mario Bros., which I’ve had steadily on repeat in my head for the last 40-ish years; if we’ve met and I’ve invariably forgotten your name, it’s because my brain is occupied with doo doo doo do-do doot on an endless loop; I’m not kidding, sometimes it’s torture, but it was cool in the mid-song context — but there was structure there even apart from the one or two songs that had vocals. From Austria, Lurch were unknown to me previously, but they’re playing Hoflärm as well in August and they’ve got a slew of releases that seem pretty dug in and exploratory — and by that I mean you might get a five-minute song or a 39-minute song, depending on the record. Some of that variety made its way into the set as well, and the lesson was quickly learned as they went, pushing into psych with grounded, terrestrial riffing at the forefront. Not the first time I’m writing a note to myself this weekend about a good band. I cannot begin to tell you the value that has for me, though I’ve been trying for a few years now, I guess.

Bushfire

Schedule change! Scott Hepple and the Sun Band were supposed to play second, and Bushfire were to do two mini-sets on the small stage later on, but there was van trouble, so the Darmstadters took the slot and, as frontman Bill Brown told the crowd, “once again Bushfire are the heroes of the universe.” They were playing their new album, Snakes Bites Tales, for its release, and the gritty riffing hit just right. I’m not going to feign impartiality on this one. I consider Bill not just a friend, but a good friend who I’ve known over a decade, and whenever in the day it was happening, I was excited to see his band for the first time. The burl of their records was in full effect, but came through with a fragility live, and as Bill told his tales from the stage between songs, whether it was about drinking and drugs, writing the lyrics on the backs of posters backstage 45 minutes earlier when they were informed of the switch, or it being the end of side A before they turned to “Die Trying” (they would do side B on the small stage later), the crowd filled in on the sun-beat grass and groove was had in abundance. No question dude is a presence on stage, but the two guitars stood up to the throaty vocals and the solos came through with due punch before the drums and bass turned out around back to the verse again. Bushfire have never been about reinventing the wheel of heavy rock, but they roll that wheel in a way that’s expressive and their own, and I didn’t even realize how much I needed that kick in the ass, so thanks. Don’t look for it tomorrow, but I’ll have a review of the album here sooner or later. Honestly, this was more about appreciating the chance to witness a friend kill it in the band’s native habitat, which I was fortunate to do.

Kombynat Robotron

I hit the spritzcannon hard before their set. Had to happen. You could see a rainbow in the spray. I wasn’t quite soaked, but it was worth putting my bag down and standing there for an earth-minute or two, though soon enough it was back at it for Kombynat Robotron. The ascendant heavy space/cosmic rockers are set to issue their new album, AANK, next month — more homework to put in my notes file; not complaining — and if they wanted to put this set out too, that’d be just fine by me. They got the combination of push and swing just right in terms of pace, where you could feel the physical urging of the music within the abiding nod, coming through in a wash of wah with miraculous clarity of intent for something that was so noisy and open-feeling. They had some bliss on offer as well, but once the forward momentum was locked in, so pretty much immediately, it held for the duration. I’d been too in my own head the day before. Getting lost in Kombynat Robotron for a while was refreshing in a different way than having droplets of water launched at my person, but refreshing just the same to stop measuring time in planetary terms. I’m not sure if I enjoyed more the raw moments in Kombynat Robotron — because for sure there are riffs in there — or the tonal wash into which they sometimes veered during the set, but fortunately, there’s zero need for me to choose between them. They were dead on, and I came away with a better understanding of how they work as a group. Total win of a bend for reality.

Highway Child

The heavy underground has a long memory, and though Denmark’s Highway Child broke up 14 years ago in 2011 after the release of their self-titled third album, the heavy underground also loves a redemption story, so Highway Child were here and are at a couple other spots this summer. It’s not the five-week comeback tour or anything, but though there’s been a generational turnover since, they would play to an audience who knew and appreciated their work. So far as I know, that’s is the ideal when you’re doing something like this. They put out two records on Elektrohasch, 2008’s On the Old Kings Road (review here, discussed here) and 2009’s Sanctuary Come (review here), right as the label was starting to hit its arguable peak, so yes, I remembered them too, though I’d never seen them before. Rooted in heavy blues, with a swagger that’s apparently been lying in wait for the better part of a decade and a half, they had folks dancing in the sun out front and were a party all on their own on stage as well. Not a band I ever thought I’d see, and not one I’d be likely to catch otherwise. Figures I’d get all emotional on the last day of the fest. Hard not to.

Travo

Let the party continue. From Portugal, Travo turned heads with late-2023’s Astromorph God (review here) and have been spreading the word live since. The KEXP session earlier this year probably helped in that regard too, feather in their collective cap as it was. Even the line check was brash, but that was nothing compared to once they got going. Leaning more into space rock — I’d say neospace, as I do sometimes, but it didn’t feel quite right, despite all the rampant modernity of the wash they set above the classic pulsations of the drums — they had a solid foundation of heavy tone on which to dance, and set themselves to doing exactly that. If you’ve been reading this site for a while, or even a day, you probably already know there’s little I enjoy more than agreeing with myself. Also disagreeing! But man, I was so right to be excited to see Travo. I may not have been able to hang in the sun, but I found a spot for the whole set after taking pictures and set up camp by which I mean put my bag down, for the duration and they hit hard, digging in with all-go energy and a succession of rad effects-topped builds, voice intermittently punching its way through all the shove surrounding. They made me want me coffee, dared to mellow a bit, and ended with the biggest big-rock-finish I’ve caught here so far.

Wucan

With a new album due in August titled Axioms — it’ll be the Dresden four-piece’s fifth LP — Wucan took the stage to herald the release with due veteranly confidence, and held off breaking out either the flute or the theremin (both firsts) until after the first song, which seems classy somehow. A strong thread of heavy ’10s boogie running through their songwriting, but like many who took that path, Wucan are less about vintageism than broadening a palette of classic, heavy and progressive rock. I’ll admit it’s been a while since I last heard them, but the vibe was sleek and the crowd ate it up as perhaps they inevitably would. The longest day of the year still had plenty of sunshine left in it, but the lawn was packed, somebody had an inflatable flying V, which was fun, and Wucan made sticking it out worthwhile, strut or shuffle or twist. The political complexities of stage outfits notwithstanding, Wucan were an unmitigated good time, with melodies and groove they reached out directly to the crowd and hooked people in. I was curious how much of what they played was new as they touched on space rock about halfway through the set, but this too was fair game for the expanded reach of their sound. I’ll be interested to hear where the album goes.

The Devil and the Almighty Blues

This was my third time seeing Norway’s The Devil and the Almighty Blues, after Høstsabbat in Oslo in 2019 (the before-time) and in 2017 at Roadburn in the Netherlands. In January, if all goes according to my evil plans, I’ll see them again at Planet Desert Rock Weekend in Las Vegas. Good thing they rule. The 2019 show was in support of what’s still their most recent record, Tre (review here), and to their credit, vocalist Arnt O. Andersen still came out fully robed like a misfit drunkard priest, even in the heat of the lingering day. Much respect for that, never mind that they opened with “Salt the Earth.” While I might’ve known what to expect going in, unlike with so many of the bands this weekend who’ve been new to me (life bonus to learn), that didn’t make the going any less satisfying. Their self-titled debut (review here) turns 10 this year, but they wear the years easily in the fluidity of their groove, the way they’re both reverent and transgressive of the (almighty) blues, as well as classic heavy rock and probably three or four other microgenres. I could go on about that characteristic nuance — might be fun — but was content to bask in the comedowns and the pickups and follow where they led. To bottom-line it for you, if you’re somewhere this band is, ever, you want to see them. It’s as simple as that, and I’m grateful for the chances I’ve had (and will have) to do so. They capped with a crescendo of dually shredding guitar solos from Peter Svee and Torgeir Waldemar Engen, then still turned it back to the verse to get a couple last lines in. See them.

Scott Hepple and the Sun Band

Their name started appearing in fest announcements last Fall, and not that I’ve heard of every band who plays a given festival — obviously; seeing new bands was the thing all weekend — but there was definitely a curiosity there. They put out two self-released LPs before getting picked up by Rise Above/Popclaw, and if there’s ever been an ear you could trust, it’s Lee Dorrian’s. They’re young, steeped in garage rock and some sweet proto-heavy shuffle. Thick enough in tone to call heavy, but fleet in being able to keep things moving. The fact that the van has broken down, delaying their arrival here and relocating their set from the main stage to the smaller one earned them some sympathy points, but the truth is they didn’t need them. They pulled the crowd over from the (other) lawn and packed the small stage area where I’ve been hiding in the shade the whole day. I’m sure they sold some records after the set, and hopefully they can keep momentum on their side.

Dead Meadow

When you absolutely need to mellow the vibe, accept no substitutes. Dead Meadow, also fresh off releasing Voyager to Voyager (review here) this Spring on Heavy Psych Sounds, lost bassist Steve Kille to cancer last year. With founding principle Jason Simon on guitar/vocals and I’m pretty sure Mark Laughlin on drums, they did indeed have bass, but I don’t know who was providing it. The sound was there though, that warmth of bottom end that puts your brain in a bathtub. And Simon’s strum, fuzz, quiet-voiced delivery were as immersive as one would hope, so although Kille contributed to the new record, and regularly recorded the band as well, they sound like they’ll continue, which I take as good news. There’s still more day to go, but the chill was infectious, even at their most active. They’re not the inventors of heavygaze, but they might as well be, and frankly, the world needs the kind of drift they bring. So much of this era is intensity, furious, raging. Algorithms. Fascism. Dead Meadow fit just right by going the other way completely, and with Lance Gordon of Mad Alchemy’s oil lightshow, the psychedelia in their sound came through as a multi-sensory experience. They’re still a thrill to watch live, but it’s a quiet thrill. I was quietly thrilled accordingly.

Bushfire

Look, I already reviewed Bushfire once, but having seen and heard half the new record earlier in the day, I wasn’t about to miss the other half, not the least as it includes “Valley of the Freak,” which is about this fest and the people here. Bushfire played the first however-many years of Freak Valley, were a staple of those lineups, but kind of stepped back. Having them present their new full-length, even in two halves, felt fitting. They had a screen in front of the stage before they went on with an animated ouroboros, but took the screen away before they actually started. The projection stayed on and the effect worked. I assume some of those standing by me over by the craftbierhaus and the stage had seen Bushfire before, but I hadn’t until today.

The Sword

I could not tell you when the last time I saw The Sword was, but the prevailing memory I have of them live is wandering into a Relapse Records showcase at SXSW in their hometown of Austin, Texas, and watching a demo riff band lay waste to a show that I’m pretty sure featured Cephalic Carnage later on, but don’t quote me on that, because I was drunk and the only thing I remember for sure was The Sword throwing down a gauntlet for what was then the next generation of heavy rock. The ensuing 21 years and a breakup later (hooray for me, being old), The Sword have returned and claimed their place once again among headlining acts. Their evolution can be charted across their records, but on stage it was more about them being back, good times, and so on. Again, I didn’t stick around (I fly out early tomorrow afternoon and it’s two hours to Frankfurt airport), but I got to hear “Freya,” and that’s always a blast, and I put on the Rockpalast stream when I got back to the room to watch the end, and zero regrets. They seemed to be picking up where they left off, maybe a little more into it for the time away — to wit, they didn’t sound like they were about to break up — and definitely appreciative of the crowd. The Sword are among the most revered US heavy rock bands of the last 25 years, easily, and it’s a boon to the genre that they’re back at it.

—

I can’t believe how fucking ridiculously fortunate I am. It is beyond silly. Like I said once already, or like 10 times, I don’t know, it was an early flight in the morning, so I crashed out as quick as I could in order to be up at seven to shower, finish packing, etc. I may or may not have time for a full wrap-up post, but if I end up saying thanks to Jens, Alex, Marcus, Jara, Basti, Volker, Pete, Bill, Judith, Ralf, and all in the backstage for making me feel so welcome.

It’s a long year till FVF 2026 and one never knows what the future will bring, but if you take anything away from the glut of words that have shown up in this space over the previous three days, take that Freak Valley is something very, very special, and it’s not at all a coincidence that it sells out every year as soon as tickets go on sale. And it’s the people that make it. I’m pretty sure Bill said that in “Valley of the Freak.”

So, if I do or don’t have time for a proper epilogue, we’ll see, but as always, thank you to my wife, The Patient Mrs., for making this and everything else possible for me. Thank you to my mother, and to my sister, as always, for their unending, unconditional support.

And thank you for reading. Won’t be the last time this week I say it.

More pics after the jump.

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I’ll admit it’s been a minute, but if you remember circa 2008/’09, Danish heavy rockers Highway Child released two banger records through Elektrohasch. I need to revisit, and will sometime in the next few Fridays, but a reunion adds to the appeal of the already badass and already long-since sold out Freak Valley 2025, which will also feature a stop from The Sword as they celebrate their reunion likely with a European summer tour, and new additions Battlesnake, Häxer and DZ Deathrays, who’ll bring some of that Australian punk energy last year have highlighted in Amyl and the Sniffers and C.O.F.F.I.N. — it’s a kick in the ass but one you need.

It’s a strong lineup, though, with Motorpsycho, Windhand, Dead Meadow, The Devil and the Almighty Blues, Early Moods, Kombynat Robotron, Travo and so on. Hell, Wedge are going to be there, as I also very much hope to be. I don’t have my flight booked yet, and I never call it 100 percent until I’m on the plane, but this is one I’m looking forward to seeing, and as always, thanks to Jens Heide and the Freak Valley crew for having me, as well as for once again having The Obelisk logo on the poster. Being in the company of Rockpalast and Rock Hard magazine there continues to be humbling.

Here’s the latest:

FREAK VALLEY FESTIVAL 2025 – BAND ANNOUNCEMENT!

Get ready, Freaks! This year’s lineup is bringing the heat with an exclusive Germany show from none other than THE SWORD – heavy riff lords returning to melt faces!

But that’s not all – Danish psych-rockers HIGHWAY CHILD reunite for an exclusive Germany show, a rare chance to witness their magic live!

Also joining the madness: the serpentine shredlords BATTLESNAKE, occult doom sorcerers HÄXER, and the high-voltage energy of Aussie punk-rockers DZ DEATHRAYS.

This one’s gonna be legendary. See you in the Valley!

https://www.facebook.com/freakvalley
https://www.instagram.com/freakvalleyfestival/
http://www.rockfreaks.de/
http://www.freakvalley.de/

Highway Child, “Just Like You” live in Denmark, 2011

Aughts-era heavy rockers The Sword have returned following their appearance at Levitation in their hometown of Austin, Texas, last year. They released a live record. It’s below. The four-piece will play two more shows and announce more to come I guess in the next few months.

It has not been so terribly long since The Sword called it a day late in 2022, but I mean, sometimes you need a break. Fair enough. They spent from about 2005-2020 slamming in tours one after the other. Let’s assume they’ve caught their collective breath and are hopefully refreshed in their purposes. Their last album, Used Future (review here), came out in 2018.

The PR wire has it like this:

The Sword is back.

Following their highly-anticipated set at Levitation 2024, the legendary band has announced two additional dates, with more shows on the horizon: April 10 at the Granada Theater (Dallas) and April 11 at Paper Tiger (San Antonio). Tickets are on-sale this Friday, Feb. 7 at 10 a.m. local time.

Cronise, in conversation with Revolver, shared his thoughts on the band’s reunion, the 15th anniversary of Warp Riders, and more: We know each other, we’re comfortable. It’s just kind of like putting on a comfortable pair of sneakers. Levitation was a great show… it went really well.”

Kyle Shutt adds, “I can’t tell you what it means to see everyone’s positive reception. It feels so good to see people out there almost more enthusiastic about the band than ever – it’s something we’ll never take for granted.”

Warp Riders is the Austin-based band’s third full-length album, which arrived in the summer of 2010. The 10-song collection, described as a psychedelic space opera, features the galloping, fuzzed out “Tres Brujas” and the southern rock-infused “Lawless Lands.” Warp Riders was met with widespread praise upon its release.

The Sword is JD Cronise (vocals, guitar), Bryan Richie (bass, keyboards), Kyle Shutt (guitar, vocals), and Santiago Vela (drums). Following their 2003 inception, The Sword quickly became one of the most revered names in heavy music. With a blend of crushing riffs, intricate storytelling, and a sound that bridges classic metal and modern rock, The Sword has released six albums: Age of Winters (2006), Gods of the Earth (2008), Warp Riders (2010), Apocryphon (2012), High Country (2015) and Used Future (2018).

Thesword.bandcamp.com
Instagram.com/theswordofficial
Tiktok.com/@theswordofficial
Facebook.com/theswordofdoom

The Sword, Live at Levitation (2024)

I guess I kind of missed out on The Sword. I had some experience with them early, their demo, the subsequent Age of Winters (discussed here), and I gave 2018’s Used Future a short and entirely-superfluous-to-the-universe review, but there’s not much coverage for them to be found in these ‘pages,’ and as founding guitarist/vocalist John D. Cronise draws the curtain on the band — am I right in thinking they broke up for a short time previously? was it when Trivett Wingo left? — it occurs to me that, yeah, they kind of did a whole cycle of success that I basically whiffed on. Can’t catch ’em all, whatever the Pokémon trainer says.

The last time I saw them was in 2011, so you’re not going to find me claiming any real expertise, but they were and may someday again be a band that a lot of people loved, so their breakup is certainly noteworthy. They did Ripplefest Texas this year, Psycho Las Vegas last year. They’ve been around, and put in years of hard road time. I don’t think they’ll be the last of their generation to kind of age out over the next few years — they’re not the first, for that matter — but if they’re really done, they achieved more than most ever do in spreading the word of heavy riffs, and for that one can be only grateful.

Cronise’s statement from social media follows here:

Hello friends,

I find it my duty to inform you that, after much contemplation, I have reached the difficult conclusion that it’s time to bring The Sword’s long and storied career to a close. When I started the band back in 2004, I could’ve only hoped for the successes we’ve enjoyed, and I consider myself extremely lucky to have been able to do it for a living for almost two decades. In that time everything I ever wanted to say and do with The Sword creatively has been said and done, and so the time has come for me to move on to other endeavors.

Thanks to everyone who’s ever come to a show, bought our albums and merch, and supported
us over the years. Thanks to everyone who’s teched, tour managed, done sound, or sold merch for us. Thanks to all the bands who’ve taken us on tour and to all the bands we’ve taken on tour.

Thanks to the promotors and venues who booked us and let us play. Thanks to the producers and recording engineers who worked on our albums and to the labels that released them.

Thanks to Josh our booking agent and Mark our business manager, whom we are glad to count
as friends. And most of all thanks to my bandmates, Kyle, Bryan, Jimmy, and Trivett, for having faith in me and allowing me to realize my vision. You dudes are true legends.

It’s been a helluva journey. Now it’s time for the next chapter…

— John D. Cronise

https://instagram.com/theswordofficial
https://www.facebook.com/theswordofdoom
https://theswordofficial.com/

The Sword, Conquest of Kingdoms (2022)