Hard to argue as the Fall fest and touring season for Europe takes shape. If you’re keeping up, you probably saw earlier this week that My Sleeping Karma, Psychlona and Kant were added to the Keep it Low Festival (info here), and Kanaan — who are newly-added to Up in Smoke 2025 in Switzerland along with the aforementioned three, Canada’s Sons of Arrakis, and the noise-rocking homegrown Swiss unit Hathors — had been previously confirmed for that Munich-based festival as well.

This is how it goes in Europe at this point and it’s a beautiful thing to see, whether it’s in autumn or spring or summer, where there’s another fest somewhere practically every weekend and touring bands have basically a guaranteed audience quotient as they make their way through. Up in Smoke happens earlier in October — it’s set for Oct. 3-5, as you can see on the poster below — and so will catch a lot of these acts at the start of their respective tours, whether that’s Sons of Arrakis or Graveyard, and do I really need to mention that this will be Orange Goblin‘s last show in Switzerland, perhaps ever?

I didn’t think so. The following came from social media via Sound of Liberation:

⚡️UP IN SMOKE 2025 – NEW BAND ANNOUNCEMENT⚡️

Hey Smokers,

The riff train rolls on – we’re thrilled to drop SIX more bands for this year’s Up In Smoke Festival! 🚂💨

MY SLEEPING KARMA – Hypnotic, instrumental journeys through space and soul!
KANAAN – Psychedelic power-trio from Norway bringing the fuzz and fire!
PSYCHLONA – UK desert rockers channeling the spirit of the sands!
SONS OF ARRAKIS – Spice-fueled heaviness straight from the Dune universe!
KANT – Progressive, dynamic, and heavy as hell – a must-see live act!
HATHORS – Swiss noise rockers with a raw edge and massive energy!

The smoke is getting thicker and the vibes even heavier – and we’re still just getting started. 👁️‍🗨️

Lock in your spot now and catch it all live from October 3 – 5, 2025 at Konzertfabrik Z7 in Pratteln! 🎟️ Link in bio.

See you in the smoke! 💨

Cheers,
Your Up In Smoke Crew

https://www.instagram.com/up_in_smoke_festival
https://www.facebook.com/upinsmokefestivalswitzerland

https://www.soundofliberation.com/
https://www.instagram.com/soundofliberation/
https://www.facebook.com/Soundofliberation/

Kanaan, Downpour (2023)

Sweden’s Graveyard move to the head of the class on the Up in Smoke 2025 poster. The headliners are one of four acts being announced in the latest word from Switzerland’s fall festival, Up in Smoke. The Sound of Liberation-backed three-dayer has also brought on Galactic Superlords, whose 2024 single “Heartbeat” is streaming below, Israeli trio The Great Machine, who are both heavy as hell and sure to be wackadoo on stage, and Wolfer, whose intense atmosludge stylings I’d never encountered before this post but it turns out are pretty awesome. This is why I like fest announcements.

Wolfer‘s 2024 apparently-debut LP, Hey Lester!, is also at the bottom of this post. Dig that foreboding fuzz, explosion and roll of “Your Glory.” It was released in September, on Humus Records. I hadn’t heard it before. The band are from Bern. You might also enjoy digging in. ‘Gaze vibes and impact.

I’m sure you already heard it, but after like 40 years, the novelty of checking out something I haven’t heard before and enjoying it hasn’t worn off. I assume it will when I’m dead.

Here’s the latest from the fest:

⚡️UP IN SMOKE 2025 – NEW BAND ANNOUNCEMENT⚡️

Hey Smokers,

The fire keeps burning – we’re stoked to add FOUR more killer bands to this year’s Up In Smoke lineup! 🔥

GRAVEYARD – Sweden’s heavy blues masters are back to shake the walls of Z7!

GALACTIC SUPERLORDS – High-energy hard rock straight from the depths of space!

THE GREAT MACHINE – Raw, fuzzy, and full of sonic chaos – get ready!

WOLFER – A wild ride of heavy grooves and pure rock ’n’ roll madness!

This lineup is getting louder and heavier by the day – and we’re still not done! More bands to be announced soon… 👀

Get your tickets now via the link in bio and join us from October 3 – 5, 2025 at Konzertfabrik Z7 in Pratteln! 🎫

See you in the smoke!

Cheers,
Your Up In Smoke Crew

https://www.facebook.com/upinsmokefestivalswitzerland
https://www.instagram.com/up_in_smoke_festival

https://www.facebook.com/Soundofliberation/
https://www.instagram.com/soundofliberation/
https://www.soundofliberation.com/

Galactic Superlords, “Heartbeat” (2024)

Wolfer, Hey Lester! (2024)

Not gonna hear me arguing with the lineup for Up in Smoke 2024, the 10th anniversary edition of the Pratteln, Switzerland-based festival appearing early in the Fall circuit alongside the likes of Desertfest Belgium, Keep it Low, Lazy Bones, Høstsabbat and others. It’s done — the lineup, that is — with the final additions of Masters of Reality, Naxatras and The Machine, although you can see the “and more” remains on the poster, so there may indeed yet be more names to come. With Monster Magnet, Greenleaf, Lowrider, Pentagram (debuting a new lineup even on their “retirement” tour, apparently), Monolord, Slomosa, Messa, Samavayo, Valley of the Sun and Daevar, among others, you wouldn’t say it’s hurting for righteousness either way.

Even unto its final acts announced, the spread of geography and styles emphasizes how easy it is to take these things for granted. Masters of Reality, the long-tenured outfit led by Chris Goss, make the trip from California. Naxatras, who shifted from open jams to synth-laced prog-psych with their last record, will head north from Greece. The Machine, with tone for days and a readiness to either blast out noise rock or jam, jam, jam, will pop over from the Netherlands. The entire bill is a swath of countries and styles drawn mostly from Europe with a few US acts worked in, and while with so much going on across the continent it’s easy to think of it as just another weekend, the fact is it’s an anchor for a lot of Fall tours and, 10 years later, a communion unto itself. I’ve never been, but if invited, I’d be there in a snap. Or however long the flight is, anyhow. It’s never actually a snap.

The point, though, is don’t take it for granted. I remember when events like this didn’t exist, let alone exist every weekend in a linear succession of countries. That Up in Smoke happens at all is a thing to celebrate, never mind that it’s been going on for a decade now.

Word came from Sound of Liberation via socials:

UP IN SMOKE 2024 – FINAL BAND ANNOUNCEMENT

We’re stoked to announce the last bands for the Up In Smoke festival 2024!💥

The line up is now complete!🔥

*** PLEASE WELCOME ***

MASTERS OF REALITY
NAXATRAS
THE MACHINE

*** FULL LINE UP ***

MONSTER MAGNET
MASTERS OF REALITY
PENTAGRAM
TRUCKFIGHTERS
MONOLORD
LOWRIDER
GREENLEAF
SLOMOSA
NAXATRAS
MESSA
WOLVENNEST
SCORPION CHILD
VALLEY OF THE SUN
GNOME
PSYCHLONA
THE MACHINE
SAMAVAYO
DJIIN
DAEVAR
TAR POND
PREAMP DISASTER
NORNA
NO MUTE
GLUE

🎫Online-Tickets: www.sol-tickets.com

& www.z-7.ch

🎫Hardtickets: www.sol-records.com

🌐Website: www.upinsmoke.de

Up In Smoke Festival
10th Anniversary
🗓️04. – 06. October 2024
📍Z7 Konzertfabrik
Pratteln, Switzerland

https://www.facebook.com/upinsmokefestivalswitzerland
https://www.instagram.com/up_in_smoke_festival

https://www.facebook.com/Soundofliberation/
https://www.instagram.com/soundofliberation/
https://www.soundofliberation.com/

The Machine, Wave Cannon (2023)

The 2024 Up in Smoke Festival came out swinging big in its first announcement last month, with names like Greenleaf, Monolord, Lowrider, Truckfighters, Messa and Gnome among others, and the second announcement below makes a fitting follow-up with the promise of a doesn’t-happen-all-the-time-see-them-when-you-can stopover from Monster Magnet, as well as up and coming atmospheric doomers Daevar, the e’er-a-riot Valley of the Sun, the reunited Scorpion Child and veteran heavy rockers Samavayo set to play. It’s the 10th anniversary for the Swiss festival held each Fall in Pratteln as part of what’s become an international family of festivals backed or semi-backed by Sound of Liberation — see also Keep it Low, Desertfest Belgium, etc. — and they’re only right to do it up accordingly.

From Pentagram to Slomosa, the span of generations and sounds here is broader than the monikers alone can convey, but the celebratory feel of how the lineup is taking shape remains strong. There’s a lot to like about it, in other words, and while I’ve never been lucky enough to attend, I do know enough to know that running a successful fest for a decade — never mind surviving the odd bit of pandemic interruption of same — is no minor feat. Congratulations to Up in Smoke on the anniversary, and I look forward to when the rest of the bill is announced, say, mid-April?

From the PR wire:

UP IN SMOKE FESTIVAL confirms MONSTER MAGNET & many more new band names for its 2024 edition!

UP IN SMOKE FESTIVAL has announced new names for their upcoming, 10th anniversary edition, and confirms spacelords MONSTER MAGNET, high-voltage desert rockers VALLEY OF THE SUN, Berlin’s finest SAMAVAYO, stoner doomsters DAEVAR, US rock act SCORPION CHILD & many more!

They will join the already eclectic line-up featuring mighty PENTAGRAM, who will play their last Swiss show ever(!), TRUCKFIGHTERS, MONOLORD, GREENLEAF, LOWRIDER, SLOMOSA and more high class live acts. Further band names will be revealed soon.

UP IN SMOKE FESTIVAL will take place between October 4 – 6, 2024 at Konzertfabrik Z7 in Pratteln, Switzerland, Hard tickets are available via https://sol-records.com/products/up-in-smoke-2024-festival-hardticket, to grab your online ticket, visit: https://www.sol-tickets.com/produkte

https://www.facebook.com/upinsmokefestivalswitzerland
https://www.instagram.com/up_in_smoke_festival

https://www.facebook.com/Soundofliberation/
https://www.instagram.com/soundofliberation/
https://www.soundofliberation.com/

Daevar, “Amber Eyes” official video

Valley of the Sun, The Chariot (2022)

With Pentagram at the top of its thus-far bill playing what will reportedly be their final Swiss show ever on a retirement tour that will also stop through Desertfest Berlin 2024 this Spring, the Sound of Liberation-associated Up in Smoke Festival has made the first lineup announcement for its 10th anniversary edition. Set for Oct. 4-6, it is at the spearhead of what will almost certainly be a busy month on the European underground touring circuit. And as one expects news to follow shortly from other October festivals throughout Western Europe — Keep it Low in Munich, Desertfest Belgium in Antwerp, Høstsabbat in Norway that I’ve been fortunate enough to go to a couple times, and so on — knowing that the likes of Truckfighters, Monolord, Lowrider, Greenleaf and Slomosa will be out on the road, at least the latter two of them behind new records, warms the heart in February’s drear. Will I be there? Probably not, barring a miracle or some kind of grant that doesn’t exist, but someone will be, and that’s rad enough of a thought to get me through the end of this sentence, so I’ll take it.

Wonder if we’ll see new stuff from Gnome this year, and I think Messa were beginning the process this winter of their next LP. October is far enough away that just about anything can happen between now and then, and I guess that’s part of the fun in posting these things in the first place. Thanks for talking that one through with me.

And while we’re here, happy 10th anniversary to Up in Smoke, and many happy returns.

Here’s the latest:

⚡️UP IN SMOKE FESTIVAL 2024 – FIRST BAND ANNOUNCEMENT⚡️

Hey Smokers,

Today, we are thrilled to announce the first bunch of amazing bands for the 10th-anniversary of our beloved Up In Smoke Festival!🖤

None other than Bobby Liebling and his crew in Pentagram will be joining us to celebrate their last show in Switzerland ever! 🔥

So great to see our Scandinavian friends Truckfighters, Monolord, Slomosa, Greenleaf and Lowrider joining the madness with exclusive Switzerland shows.

In addition to this, we are introducing the dark, haunting sounds of the female-fronted doom outfits Messa and Wolvennest, along with the experimental rockers Djinn, Belgium’s one and only Gnome, and the UK riffmasters Psychlona.

Up in Smoke takes place near Basel and Switzerland offers some excellent bands as well! Check out Tar Pond, Preamp Disaster, Norna, No Mute and Glue.🇨🇭

Make no mistake, this was just the beginning!👀

Up in Smoke 2024 will be a massive heavy rockin’ birthday bash and the stoner party of the year!🪩

Line Up:

Pentagram *last Swiss show ever*
Truckfighters
Monolord
Lowrider
Greenleaf
Slomosa
Messa
Wolvennest
Gnome
Psychlona
Djiin
Tar Pond
Preamp Disaster
Norna
No Mute
Glue
& many more

🎫Online-Tickets: www.sol-tickets.com
(link in bio)
& www.z-7.ch

🎫Hardtickets: www.sol-records.com

🌐Website: www.upinsmoke.de

Up In Smoke Festival
10th Anniversary
🗓️04. – 06. October 2024
📍Z7 Konzertfabrik
Pratteln, Switzerland

Cheers,
Your UIS-Crew

https://www.facebook.com/upinsmokefestivalswitzerland
https://www.instagram.com/up_in_smoke_festival

https://www.facebook.com/Soundofliberation/
https://www.instagram.com/soundofliberation/
https://www.soundofliberation.com/

Lowrider, Live at Hellfest 2022

Admittedly, I’m a few days behind on this. I don’t know how many — I didn’t want to look — but it’s times like this I like to remind mostly myself that I’m doing the best I can here with the time and energy I have on any particular day. Up in Smoke 2023 is set for Sept. 29-Oct. 1 in Pratteln, Switzerland, the location same as ever, and seems to be the kickoff point for the Fall heavy touring and festival season in Europe. As much as there even are seasons anymore and tours and fests aren’t just happening all the time — by which I mean they are, the dead of winter kinda notwithstanding, for now — but still, moving out of summer brings a new round of beginnings and offerings coming out.

Seeing Nebula and Heavy Temple and Howling Giant together here after also being added to Desertfest Belgium in Antwerp, which takes place nearly a month later means that’s going to be some significant touring for the three American acts. I’m hoping they’re going together — love a package tour — but I have no info or confirmation that that’s what’s happening. At very least, they’ll be meeting up along the way.

Basel’s own Sons of Morpheus round out the new announcement, and as their last release was 2019’s The Wooden House Session (review here), the inevitable curiosity is piqued as to whether they might have a new release in the works for Fall. We’ll see, I guess, and in the meantime, they strengthen an already strong lineup of acts oldschool and new that still has more to come. Good fun.

From social media:

UP IN SMOKE – NEW BANDS ADDED

Hey friends,

We’re more than happy to present you today the new bands for our beloved Up In Smoke Festival!

Please give a very warm welcome to:
NEBULA
SONS OF MORPHEUS
HEAVY TEMPLE
HOWLING GIANT

This is just a small update – there are many more bands to come!

Stay tuned!

29. Sep – 01. Oct 2023

Konzertfabrik Z7
Pratteln (Basel, CH)

Get ready for three full days of finest heavy rock music!

Tickets (3 Day Passes and Sleepover Tickets) are on sale -> https://www.sol-tickets.com/produkte

Poster by Brookesia Estudio

https://www.facebook.com/upinsmokefestivalswitzerland
https://www.instagram.com/up_in_smoke_festival

https://www.facebook.com/Soundofliberation/
https://www.instagram.com/soundofliberation/
https://www.soundofliberation.com/

Nebula, “To the Center/Come Down” live in North Carolina, March 2023

Some pretty good inferences one might make looking at the first lineup announcement for Up in Smoke 2023, the annual Sound of Liberation festival held each year in Pratteln, Switzerland. It says The Obsessed will be on tour in Europe this Fall, which I’m pretty sure they’ve said anyway, but it might also be a clue as to the release of their next album. On the other hand, they might just be fucking touring because they’re The Obsessed and that’s what they do. Also it’s further expansion of Alabama Thunderpussy‘s reunion and since this festival is Sep. 29 to Oct. 1 and their prior confirmation was Keep it Low from Oct. 6 to 7, they’ll likely be on the road in Europe for the better part of at least two weeks. That’s not nothing.

Consider also Yawning Man heading abroad in Fall for their new album, announced yesterday. And did you hear that Dirty Sound Magnet record? I didn’t until now but it’s a ripper. New school oldschool blues heavy. Rad. And Eyehategod getting back at it too. It’s a cool bill, mix of newer acts and recognizable with Zeal & Ardor on top nothing to complain about.

Of course, there’s more to come here, but hell, I’d go to this. You? Festival in Switzerland in October? Why on earth would you say no to that?

Also note there’s a new Facebook page for the fest. From the PR wire:

UP IN SMOKE 2023 – ZEAL & ARDOR, GRAVEYARD, THE OBSESSED & MANY MORE ANNOUNCED

Hey Smokers, the long awaited day has come. We’re stoked to finally reveal the first names for our 2023 edition. We hope you like it as much as we do!

Get ready for three days of finest heavy rock music… this is just the beginning.

Artwork: Brookesia Estudio

Festival info:
Up In Smoke Festival
29. Sep – 01. Oct 2023
@ Konzertfabrik Z7 // Pratteln (CH)

Tickets: www.sol-tickets.com

Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1511229892691120/

https://www.facebook.com/upinsmokefestivalswitzerland
https://www.instagram.com/up_in_smoke_festival

https://www.facebook.com/Soundofliberation/
https://www.instagram.com/soundofliberation/
https://www.soundofliberation.com/

Dirty Sound Magnet, DSM-III (2022)

It would seem that in the new social media algorithmic rich-white-people-claiming-to-reshape-paradigms-everyone-else-when-all-they’re-really-doing-is-ripping-everyone-off universe of social media, somewhere along the line I stopped getting updates from Sound of Liberation. As someone who actively enjoys keeping up with a host of European events throughout the Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter, that’s a shitter to be sure. Already the lauded booking agency has started announcing lineups for two fall festivals: Up in Smoke 2018, held in Pratteln, Switzerland, and Keep it Low 2018, held in Munich, both in October. Needless to say, I’ve chased down the code like Neo in The Matrix or like whatever more up-to-date reference would apply and fixed the fucking problem for myself, social media overlords be damned.

Here’s me getting caught up with Up in Smoke 2018’s first four bands: Acid King, Naxatras, Sasquatch and John Garcia. Hell of a starting four, frankly, and of course there’s more to come. I wouldn’t actually put much stock in my technical prowess, but hopefully I should be able to do a better job keeping up from here on out.

An amalgam of the first and second announcements follows:

UP IN SMOKE 2018

Z7 I PRATTELN I OCT. 5TH-6TH 2018

Here we go, the 6th edition of UP in SMOKE indoor festival in Z7 is on its way! Our dear graphic designers from Elvisdead are bent over the desk and working like maniacs on our poster which we will be glad to introduce very soon!

But for now, as we know you want to hear fresh and crispy news, we are glad to lift the veil today of our first names:

– Acid King (USA). Bathed in distortion and baptized in a plume of smoke, the Bay Area trio fronted by talented Lori S. is rocking the heavy scene for more than 2 decades and we are just thrilled to host them for this edition of the festival.

– Naxatras (GR). Very much attached to the roots of psychedelia, paying tributes to masters like Pink Floyd & Hawkwind, while also praising Black Sabbath Doom lords, the trio is still forging very fresh tunes out of those influences and creating very sweet and fine music.

– John Garcia (USA). Yes, desert crooner and former Kyuss, Slo-Burn, Unida, Hermano, Vista Chino frontman John Garcia may rightfully be considered the ultimate incarnation of stoner rock! His first solo album and opus eponymous from 2014 was followed roughly three years later by “The Coyote Who Spoke In Tongues”, a comparatively relaxed and purely acoustic affair! He is now about to release a new one, and will be presenting it at Up In Smoke this year! We’re so looking forward to hearing his new tunes!

– Sasquatch (USA). Next, if we say “All is fair in Love and Doom”, you say ? SASQUATCH, right?! The trio, whose music has been featured on numbers of movies, games soundtracks is FUZZ! Those Californian Dudes are riffrockers to the core: mixing elements of 70s rock, metal and psychelia…we’re all in for a hell of a party!

Heavy-Rock-Doom-Psych-Stoner Indoor Festival. 2 Days of Volume Worshipping in Switzerlands best Rock Venue Z-7 in Pratteln (Basel).
2 big stages, 20+ bands and the chance for fans to sleep over in the venue. The festival is sold out since 2016, the 6th edition takes part on Oct 5th and 6th 2018.

Line Up 2018:
JOHN GARCIA / ACID KING / NAXATRAS / SASQUATCH

www.upinsmoke.de
https://www.facebook.com/UpInSmokeIndoorFestivalInZ7/
https://www.sol-tickets.com/produkte

Acid King, Live in St. Petersburg, Russia, July 19, 2017