Høstsabbat 2023 Adds Villagers of Ioannina City & John Cxnnor to Lineup

Posted in Whathaveyou on April 21st, 2023 by JJ Koczan

Yeah, okay, so I didn’t get to post last Friday’s Høstsabbat announcement. I don’t really have an excuse, I just didn’t see it until after I’d closed the week — which I definitely did early, because fuck it — and then it was Monday, Tuesday with the Quarterly Review still and then it was Wednesday and on Wednesday you might as well wait till Friday since you know another announcement’s coming anyway. If that seems like a long and arduous choice, the reality happened much faster. It was like 20 seconds on Friday of thinking about it and here we are.

That’s no slight against industrialized LLNN offshoot John Cxnnor — who have played Roadburn in between last week’s Høstsabbat announcement and the top portion of what’s below, which is from today — whose set I have zero doubt will blow my mind. Reminder too that LLNN will also be playing, so hey, while you’re in Oslo, might as well unleash another round of devastation.

And for a fun bit of other-side-of-the-spectrum-ness, today’s add is Villagers of Ioannina City, whose contemplative, Mediterranean folk-informed heavy rock I was fortunate enough to catch last year at Freak Valley Festival (review here). They might be the most ritualized rock act to take the Høstsabbat stage since Sunnata in 2019, but they’re less likely to wear robes and actually have a kind of poppish charisma and are more forward musically. But they’re cool either way, so bonus.

Høstsabbat posted the following:

hostsabbat 2023 villagers of ioannina city

VILLAGERS OF IOANNINA CITY

The sun shines beautifully on this very Friday, and so does our next announcement.

In massive contrast to the industrial, hard-hitting heaviness of last week’s announcement, Danish duo John Cxnnor, who by the way crushed the main stage at Roadburn yesterday, today’s addition brings a different kind of depth and light to our anniversary lineup.

Villagers of Ioannina City has swept over the underground like a mild, mediterranean breeze.

The brilliant use of bagpipes, kaval and clarinets highlights their bombastic, yet meditative sound in a warm and folky manner, pawing way for heavy, psychedelic fuzz outbursts coming straight from the Greek mountains.

Their explosive live appearances at numerous festivals over the last years have had them on everyone’s lips, and it’s with massive pride we can announce their first ever visit to Norway.

Please welcome Villagers of Ioannina City to Høstsabbat 2023!

hostsabbat 2023 john cxnnor

JOHN CXNNOR (DK)

Oh yes, for the first time in Høstsabbat history, we are welcoming a band strictly based on electronics. Please do not fear. Heaviness is what we´re all about, heaviness always wins, and todays announcement is no exception. The band of the day is an act we have been buzzing to announce, as they will showcase a brand new kind of heavy for all of you Sabbathians.

The praise in the wake of their appearances at Roskilde and Roadburn last year was just beyond, and breathtaking to witness, just as the shows themselves. All this leading to a return to the infamous Roadburn Festival next week, for another commissioned project. Go see them if you have the chance, you will not regret. Adding to their quality, JOHN CXNNOR is a loose cannon in the live environment. They always bring vocalists, but you never know who.

JOHN CXNNOR is made up of the Danish Sejersen brothers, also known for forming half of the brilliant sci-fi sludge pioneers in LLNN.

The level of detail and finesse in their industrial soundscaping is unreal in both their outfits, but in particular, those lower frequencies bursting out from the JOHN CXNNOR experience will cuttle your tummy to the extreme. JOHN CXNNOR will terminate the Crypt, mark our words.

Please welcome JOHN CXNNOR to Høstsabbat 2023!

TICKETS
https://bit.ly/HS-festivalticket23

SPOTIFY PLAYLIST
https://spoti.fi/3tkuMZl

NEWSLETTER
https://bit.ly/HostsabbatNews

https://www.facebook.com/hostsabbat/
https://www.instagram.com/hostsabbat/
http://hostsabbat.no/

Høstsabbat Spotify Playlist

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Villagers of Ioannina City to Release Through Space and Time (Alive in Athens 2020) March 3

Posted in Whathaveyou on January 20th, 2023 by JJ Koczan

The dates here matter. First, it should be noted that Villagers of Ioannina City released the live album, Through Space and Time (Alive in Athens 2020), on their own in 2021. Second, any live record recorded in 2020 should probably raise eyebrows just on its face, and sure enough, this show — which sure looks like a good time in the video below — took place on Feb. 15, less than two weeks before the country reported its first case of covid-19 and a month before the lockdowns started and live music went away like so much else. Obviously nobody in the general public knew at the time the course the plague would take, but it does make this something of a poignant moment in the life of the band — really for the concert-going experience as a whole, but definitely for these guys — and though it wasn’t that long ago, there’s even more of a nostalgic aspect here than usual for live records. I’d imagine if you were there you already own it.

Villagers of Ioannina City‘s Age of Aquarius turns four later this year, so if the band are thinking about a follow-up, that would make sense. Given the scope of that record, I’m sure there’s no small amount of consideration into how their next studio offering should and will sound. Until then, this from the PR wire:

villagers of ionnina city through space and time alive in athens 2020

VILLAGERS OF IOANNINA CITY Announce New Live Album, ‘Through Space and Time (Alive in Athens 2020)’, Out March 3, 2023 via Napalm Records!

Pre-Order HERE: https://www.napalmrecordsamerica.com/villagersofioanninacity

Official Live Video for Impressive First Single, “Father Sun”, Unveiled

Deeply influenced by Greek nature and cosmic phenomena, psychedelic stoner rockers VILLAGERS OF IOANNINA CITY take you to new atmospheres with their first live album, ‘Through Space and Time (Alive in Athens 2020)’, to be released physically for the first time via Napalm Records on March 3, 2023.

The album’s first single, “Father Sun”, arrives alongside a live video which will take the listener into unexplored universes via the catchy rhythm of the hypnotizing bagpipe and entrancing guitar riffs, rising up to an enormous storm. The powerful, rough voices praising Mother Earth entangle with the instruments, producing a homogeneous atmosphere.

VILLAGERS OF IOANNINA CITY gather their strengths from Greek nature and cosmic spirits, letting it flow right into their phenomenal psychedelic stoner rock. Delivering amazing performances, the band ascends forth to create their first live album, ‘Through Space and Time (Alive in Athens 2020)’.

With their short but very mesmerizing discography, the live show is centered around the band’s most recent studio album, ‘Age of Aquarius’ (2019), as they play the album in sequence and spice it up with songs from their debut album and singles.

Starting with the fascinating “Welcome”, “Age of Aquarius” and “Part V” all in sequence, VILLAGERS OF IOANNINA CITY represent their ability as great storytellers underlined by great visuals. The band then jumps straight into their debut album, ‘Riza’ (2014), playing “Nova”, “Perdikomata” and “Skaros”. Fans are blown away from the dedication of the clarinet, bagpipe, and guitar!

‘Through Space and Time (Alive in Athens 2020)’ presents the sextet’s attention to detail with great production, amazing musicianship, a bombastic live presence, and the yearning to play more amazing shows in the future. This won’t be the last time VILLAGERS OF IOANNINA CITY will transcend fans into the heavens of Mount Olympus – this is only just the beginning!

‘Through Space and Time (Alive in Athens 2020)’ Track List:
CD 1:
1. Welcome (live)
2. Age of Aquarius (live)
3. Part V (live)
4. Nova (live)
5. Perdikomata (live)
6. Skaros (live)
7. Dance of Night (live)
8. Zvara (live)

CD 2:
1. Arrival (live)
2. Father Sun (live)
3. Millennium Blues (live)
4. Ti Kako (live)
5. Audience I (live)
6. Cosmic Soul (live)
7. For the Innocent (live)
8. Audience II (live)
9. Karakolia (live)

‘Through Space and Time (Alive in Athens 2020)’
will be available in the following formats:
=> 6 Page Digisleeve 2 CD Edition
=> Digisleeve & Shirt
=> 3LP Gatefold Black
=> 3LP Gatefold Marbled Orange/Black
=> 3LP Gatefold Gold

VILLAGERS OF IOANNINA CITY are:
Alex Karametis – Guitar, Vocals
Akis Zois – Bass
Aris Giannopoulos – Drums
Konstantis Pistiolis – Clarinet, Kaval, Backing Vocals
Konstantinos Lazos – Bagpipe, Winds
Kostas Zois – Guitar
Achilleas Radis – Keys

https://www.facebook.com/villagersofioanninacity/
https://www.instagram.com/villagersofioanninacity
https://vicband.bandcamp.com/

www.napalmrecords.com
www.facebook.com/napalmrecords

Villagers of Ioannina City, “Father Sun” official live video

Villagers of Ioannina City, Age of Aquarius (2019)

Villagers of Ioannina City, Through Space and Time (Alive in Athens 2020) (2021)

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The Obelisk Show on Gimme Metal Playlist: Episode 97

Posted in Radio on November 11th, 2022 by JJ Koczan

the obelisk show banner

Doing an all-Greek episode was so blindingly obvious that I actually had to check to make sure I hadn’t already done one somewhere in the last four years or so that I’ve been doing The Obelisk Show for Gimme Metal. Like, duh. And the playlist? One of the easiest times I’ve ever had putting one together. So many bands, so many vibes, so much to choose from.

Lotus Emperor’s new record, which was reviewed yesterday, was the impetus for the entire thing, so it seemed only fair to start with that, but I wanted to make sure to include a fair bit of landmark acts — 1000mods, Villagers of Ioannina City, Planet of Zeus, Naxatras, Nightstalker, Puta Volcano — alongside up and comers like Bus, Supermoon, Lotus Emperor, Acid Mammoth, Honeybadger, Half Gramme of Soma, and so on, in order to give some sense of the scope of the Greek underground, which for my money is one of the strongest in the world and an ecosystem of bands and fans unlike any other happening right now in Europe (if you want to expand to the rest of the world, Australia would rival).

Before I turn you over to the playlist, I’ll give the inevitable disclaimer that this represents but a fraction of Greece’s vibrant heavy creative community, and that there’s basically a planet’s worth of bands in Athens alone, never mind anywhere else in the country. I say in one or another of the breaks that I consider Greece at least as strong a scene as Sweden and Germany in terms of everything but broader recognition, and I stand by that. If you hear this show and want to dig further into any of these acts or find others, that’s the ideal.

Thanks if you listen and thanks for reading.

The Obelisk Show airs 5PM Eastern today on the Gimme app or at: http://gimmemetal.com.

Full playlist:

The Obelisk Show – 11.11.22 (VT = voice track)

Lotus Emperor Petra Syneidesis (2022)
Villagers of Ioannina City Dance of Night Age of Aquarius (2019)
Acid Mammoth Black Dust Caravan (2021)
VT
1000mods Navy in Alice Super Van Vacation (2011)
Half Gramme of Soma Muck & Cheese Slip Through the Cracks (2022)
People of the Black Circle Alchemy of Sorrow People of the Black Circle (2022)
Seer of the Void Lysergus Mons Revenant (2020)
The Same River Weight of the World Weight of the World (2022)
Church of the Sea No One Deserves Odalisque (2022)
Supermoon Mantra Supermoon (2020)
VT
Planet of Zeus All These Happy People Faith in Physics (2019)
Burn the Sun A Fist for Crows Le Roi Soleil (2022)
Naxatras The Battle of Crystal Fields IV (2022)
Honeybadger Laura Palmer Pleasure Delayer (2020)
Nightstalker Sad Side of the City Great Hallucinations (2019)
Bus Moonchild Never Decide (2020)
VT
Puta Volcano Black Box AMMA (2020)
Last Rizla Dive Mount Machine (2018)

The Obelisk Show on Gimme Metal airs every Friday 5PM Eastern, with replays Sunday at 7PM Eastern. Next new episode is Nov. 25 (subject to change). Thanks for listening if you do.

Gimme Metal website

The Obelisk on Facebook

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Notes From Freak Valley 2022 – Day 1

Posted in Features, Reviews on June 16th, 2022 by JJ Koczan

Freak Valley Festival stage

Freak Valley Festival 2022 – Day 1

Wed. – 2:59PM – Front of house aka on the lawn

There is a wonderfulness to being in a place where you don’t speak the language. People around you conversing, sorting things out, all this and that, where stuff needs to go and so on. I’m sitting in a smoker’s tent off to the side of the grass in front of the stage, Purple Dawn or somebody doing a soundcheck. It’s probably techs for Baroness, now that I think of it. But around me, between the riffs, I can hear the conversations, laughter floating in the air, peole who haven’t seen each other in a year or two and a half years. It’s beautiful.

And the setting is beautiful. It really is a valley. The little industrial-ish-feeling area where the fest takes place is surrounded on all sides by wooded hills, some of the trees eaten by a bug that apparently likes that kind of tree — I heard about it on the way in — and the warm air, blue sky dotted with some passing clouds, and green vegetation add to the idyllic feel. I got to go back to my hotel a bit ago, find out I didn’t then did have a room — magic! — change my clothes, do a quick cold water hobo bath, eat a thankfully not melted protein bar and abandon my adiletten in favor of actual socks and shoes, such as those shoes are at this point.

Doors are open. People are taking their picture with the Welcome to Freak Valley sign — I hope to do the same; a ritual with preserving — and I think the first band is on at 5PM. That works for me. At some point I’m going to crash from the travel, adrenaline, etc., but maybe I can find some coffee around here and stave that off for a while.

Lo-Fi Merchandise is here selling stuff and I want to buy all of it just to save on shipping to the US. Ditto the hippie pants place next door. The actual band area isn’t up yet. I’ve been back and forth, in and out of shade, finding a spot to be, etc. Saw the Duel guys when I got here, and Geezer have shown up at this point as well. The lineup for today has changed with Witchcraft dropping off. K bye. Purple Dawn will open and everybody else is pushed later accordingly from where they were. I’m bummed I won’t see My Sleeping Karma like I thought I might when I got here, but I’ll be alright.

First band in about 40 minutes. I’m here. It’s real. I made it. And I have a place to crash when the night is over. Mark that a win.

Here’s notes on the day:

Purple Dawn

Purple Dawn (Photo by JJ Koczan)

A significant rumble from Cologne’s Purple Dawn, who did precisely what you’re supposed to do when you’re opening a festival and you bust a bass head on the first song. They covered it with a jam. That is how to do it, and they were back up and running soon enough. Their stuff was pretty fresh in my head from writing about the Peace & Doom Session Vol. II (review here) and the highlight “Old Fashioned Black Madness” seemed to be the moment where the crowd woke up. The quiet start of “The Moon Song” after led to some post-High on Fire gallip mixed in with the nod that would seem to be the trio’s stock and trade. I got my photos and went out front to watch them on the grass. I’m also falling asleep sitting up. I need to find some coffee like now.

Duel

Duel (Photo by JJ Koczan)

Duel play like headliners. They’re in their songs, moving, professional, playing dynamic, heavy material that has yet to really get its due. They’re a band win people over, though as they hit into “Children of the Fire” after “Strike and Disappear,” it seemed like the crowd was well enough familiar with their wares. Either way, they destroy. This is my first time seeing them with this drummer and even the Rockpalast film crew had their work cut out for them in keeping up. But the thing is, they’re not sloppy at all. Even the three-part-vocal hook of “Children of the Fire,” they absolutely nailed it every time and didn’t look back. I’m very, very curious to hear the kind of band they are like seven or eight years from now, what their next few records might bring. A 50-minute set gave them some time to dig into their songs and get a flow going, and fucking a, of course that’s what they did. This cements them as reliable in my mind. I also downed three cups of coffee between the bands and that helped too. Fears of the fucking dead. Children of the fucking fire.

Geezer

Geezer (Photo by JJ Koczan)

I’ve got sentimental attachment here, but so good to see this band own such a large stage in front of this crowd. The NY-based three-piece did well by their new album, Stoned Blues Machine (review here), with the title-track, “Cold Black Heart,” and if I’m not mistaken the rest of side A represented. They’ve been over here for a couple weeks at this point, this is near the end of their tour, and sure enough they sounded like a band who’ve been playing every night for the last 14 — whether or not they have is beside the point and you’ll pardon me if I spare myself looking up the amount of days off they have or haven’t had — but they’re an absolute joy and I know from looking around that I was by no means the only one with a big smile on my face as they hit it. The lawn was grooving on “Atomic Moronic.” Pat introduced a mini-set of songs from 2020’s Groovy (review here) — he also introduced Steve and Richie — then hit inti the title-track with a finger plucked solo. “Dig” followed and shifted into a finale of “Awake,” ending on a hopeful note every bit worthy of the occasion, and Geezer got the biggest response of the day so far.

Villagers of Ioannina City

Villagers of Ioannina City (Photo by JJ Koczan)

A whole bunch of people just showed up and I can’t say I blame them. I’ve never seen Greece’s Villagers of Ioannina City, but many of Freak Valley denizens plainly have — they were here six years ago — but between the meditative heavy psych vibe and the folk touch brought by their use of tsabouna and what might just be a clarinet alongside keys and the weighted roll of their riffs. They’re pushing atmosphere to the forefront in a way that no one has yet — you could probably call it post-something-or-other if you worked hard at it — but then they break out a bluesy organ solo and you realize Age of Aquarius is a story they’re telling in chapters, and its complexity goes beyond trading between loud and quiet parts. Their songs and style are thoughtful, melodic, rich in tone and purposeful in their delivery. I don’t know how it would go over in the States — they’d have to be supporting someone on tour their first time out and a lot would depend on who — but there’s a full on audience engagement happening here, and they have the audience to show for it. And I suspect once they make up the two years of road time they lost supporting that album, that audience will only continue to grow.

Black Mountain

Black Mountain (Photo by JJ Koczan)

Vibe in a can. Or at least a deep-running blend of classic, psychedelic, progressive and space rocks. It’s all the same when Black Mountain take the stage. I’ll admit to being more than a little distracted during their set as one of my camera lenses broke, leaving me with the wide angle option that will probably do really well for me all day tomorrow taking pictures of the stage monitors, but one way or the other, Black Mountain’s synthy brew will lift the spirit and soothe the soul if apparently not the contact sensor on that lens. Even before I inevitably have to shell out some stupid amount of cash to have that fixed, I’m going to be bummed out if I can’t get that thing to work. Black Mountain’s mellower vibe, despite being heavy and loud and the many, many other things they are as a band, seemed to be expanding on the more immersive end of Villagers of Ioannina City’s set, but this band is their own thing. The assembled heads are ready for it. The Freaks. As for me, I’m distracted by even in such a tizzy I’ve still got room in my heart for Mellotron. Nothing else sounds like that. And I guess that’s true of Black Mountain too, but individual as they are, but their sound still has an immediate familiarity to it, whether you know the songs or they know you. Also it’s nighttime now. Apparently that happened recently.

Baroness

Baroness (Photo by JJ Koczan)

Seems to me that if I really was dead set on becoming a real Baroness fan, the thing to do would be to see them play live every couple of weeks between now and whenever I eventually get on board. They deliver live. The set was similar to when I saw them a few weeks ago at Desertfest New York (review here), but there wasn’t even a question as to whether or not they were going to nail it, because yes, they were. And so it went. It had been a long day, and it was only with the help of respected-photog Falk-Hagen Bernshausen that I managed to make that seemingly-busted lens work for long enough to shoot a couple songs of the Baroness set, but the band’s energy was infectious, their rhythm a physical urging, like they’re trying to tell you it’s time to go for a run, except I guess without the running on the audience’s part. I honestly don’t know Baroness’ songs well enough to say whether the performance was flawless, and if it was, I suppose that’s nice in the way of such things, but from my silly little spot in the grass I was just happy to appreciate the headliner headlining (again) and a performance by a band who have so clearly mastered their craft.

06.16.22 – Thursday – 10:56AM – Hotel

A little after I get back last night someone knocks on my door. I open it and a dude is there, absolutely smashed, wearing some death metal shirt. I don’t remember who it was now, but it was someone decent. He starts talking and even though I don’t speak German I could tell his words were slurred. I slowed him down, apologized for not speaking his beautiful language in his beautiful country, and eventually he seemed to recall that he spoke perfect English.

He needed stairs, which seemed like a terrible idea to me given his state. Dude could hardly stand. I showed him where the stairs were but then he said he wanted his room and kept walking. It was the one with the stuff on the floor outside in the hallway. Room 29. Fair enough. Turned out he’d lost his room key. He told me to find it. In his pockets. No dice, bro, sorry. He empties his own pockets and discovers various stuff but no key. He is grumbling, agitated. For one brief second, he looks like he’s about to give up. He’s speaking syllables, in and out of German and English — the human brain is amazing, even addled — and kind of says “bwuh?” and shrugs his shoulders.

I ask if he has back pockets, and a few seconds later, tucked into a respectable wad of Euros emerges his room key. His eyes light up. I open his door for him and usher him inside. His relief is palpable. I tell him to sleep and he nods. Freak Valley is small enough that I could probably run into Mr. Roomtwentynine 100 times today. I don’t think I’d recognize him if I did. Festival life.

More pics after the jump.

Read more »

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The Obelisk Show on Gimme Metal Playlist: Episode 86

Posted in Radio on June 10th, 2022 by JJ Koczan

the obelisk show banner

Today’s episode of The Obelisk Show on Gimme Metal is a tribute to and a look at the lineup for this year’s Freak Valley Festival, taking place next week in Siegen, Germany. Freak Valley has been hosting bands for over a decade and I’m proud to say that this will be my first year attending after many, many more wanting to do so, doing writing for the festival, etc.

Should probably point out even if I d don’t necessarily need to that this isn’t the full lineup of the festival, just as much as I could effectively pack into two hours while also managing to play a 20-minute Endless Boogie track. Could I have hunted out shorter cuts and maybe been able to fit another band or two? Probably, but it doesn’t feel like The Obelisk Show in my brain if it doesn’t end with a jam, so it is what it needs to be.

I should be in the chat this time if you want to say hi. I was doing live factoids about the bands for a while because the Gimme Bot doesn’t always know this stuff if it’s new, or weird, or not at all metal, and so on, but it just kind of got sad after a while so I stopped. Lesson learned.

Thanks if you listen, thanks if you’re reading. Thanks in general.

The Obelisk Show airs 5PM Eastern today on the Gimme app or at: http://gimmemetal.com.

Full playlist:

The Obelisk Show – 06.10.22

Psychlona Blast Off Venus Skytrip
Fu Manchu Strange Plan Fu30 Pt. 2
Duel Wave of Your Hand In Carne Persona
Green Lung Leaders of the Blind Black Harvest
VT1
Red Fang Wires Murder the Mountains
The Midnight Ghost Train Foxhole Buffalo
Villagers of Ioannina City Part V Age of Aquarius
Pelican Arteries of Blacktop Nighttime Stories
Djiin Warmth of Death Meandering Soul
Toundra Danubio II
Geezer Atomic Moronic Stoned Blues Machine
Slomatics Cosmic Guilt Canyons
IAH Naga Omines
Kosmodome Hypersonic Kosmodome
Madmess Rebirth Rebirth
VT2
Endless Boogie Jim Tully Admonitions

The Obelisk Show on Gimme Metal airs every Friday 5PM Eastern, with replays Sunday at 7PM Eastern. Next new episode is June 25 (subject to change). Thanks for listening if you do.

Gimme Metal website

The Obelisk on Facebook

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Villagers of Ioannina City Announce European Tour Dates

Posted in Whathaveyou on April 21st, 2022 by JJ Koczan

Villagers of Ioannina City (Photo by Nick Logiotatidis)

I’ve decided to in the next couple weeks make it a point to revisit some of 2020’s many releases that, due largely to the chaos surrounding general existence at the time, I didn’t get to cover as much as I wanted. File Villagers of Ioannina City‘s Age of Aquarius in that category. Released first by the band in 2019 and then by Napalm Records in 2020, I’ve never really had that nagging feeling in my head stop about the need to give it a proper review, so now — or at least some time in the next couple weeks — seems to be as good a time as any for that and assorted others in that particular reach of my skull.

As regards Villagers of Ioannina City‘s upcoming tour, you’ll no doubt note both the quantity and the quality of the dates. A slew of festivals including Desertfest Berlin and a return to Freak Valley, Hellfest and a stretch alongside DVNE, when any single one of them would be enough to base a stint of gigs around. For a band who’ve been twiddling their collective thumbs not getting to support the best album of their career as they should, I’d be willing to speculate they’re relieved to finally announce these shows.

Sound of Liberation posted the following:

Villagers of Ioannina City tour 2022

VILLAGERS OF IOANNINA CITY – TOUR ANNOUNCEMENT

Friends, we’re extremely happy to share that Greek psychedelic-folk-rockers Villagers of Ioannina City will hit the road in less than a month.

And pay close attention, in some cities no other than Edinburgh’s hottest progressive rock/metal act DVNE will open the night for you.

Sound of Liberation proudly presents:

Villagers Of Ioannina City + special guests DVNE
European Tour 2022

14.05.22 (GR) Thessaloniki, Principal Club Theater
20.05.22 (BG) Sofia, “Mixtape 5”
21.05.22 (HR) Zagreb, Vintage Industrial Bar
22.05.22 (AT) Salzburg, Rockhouse Salzburg
25.05.22 (DE) Wiesbaden, Schlachthof Wiesbaden
27.05.22 (DE) Berlin, Desertfest Berlin
28.05.22 (DE) Jena, KuBa Open Air*
29.05.22 (PL) Krakow, Klub Zaścianek*
30.05.22 (AT) Vienna, ARENA WIEN *
02.06.22 (DE) Bielefeld, Forum Bielefeld*
03.06.22 (DE) Rotterdam, Podium Grounds*
04.06.22 (DE) Gelsenkirchen, Rock Hard Festival
06.06.22 (NL) Amsterdam, Melkweg Amsterdam*
08.06.22 (DE) Hamburg, Knust Hamburg*
09.06.22 (DE) Dresden, Beatpol*
10.06.22 (DE) Munich, 17 years Sound of Liberation • Backstage Munich*
11.06.22 (DE) Kassel, Goldgrube Kassel*
13.06.22 (GR) Athens, AthensRocks
15.06.22 (DE) Nephten, FREAK VALLEY FESTIVAL
16.06.22 (DE) Zurich, Rote Fabrik
21.06.22 (FR) Paris, GLAZART
23.06.22 (UK) London, 229
25.06.22 (FR) Clisson, Hellfest Open Air Festival
+ more to be announced

*with DVNE

Better grab your tickets fast!

VILLAGERS OF IOANNINA CITY are:
Alex (guitar/vox)
Akis (bass)
Aris (drums)
Kostantis (clarinet, winds)
Kostas (bagpipe)

https://www.facebook.com/villagersofioanninacity/
https://www.instagram.com/villagersofioanninacity
https://vicband.bandcamp.com/

www.napalmrecords.com
www.facebook.com/napalmrecords

Villagers of Ioannina City, Age of Aquarius (2019)

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Sound of Liberation Updates Lineups for 17th Anniversary Parties

Posted in Whathaveyou on February 28th, 2022 by JJ Koczan

sound of liberation 17 years wiesbaden banner

Pick your poison here, it’s all killer. Makes sense when you think about it, too. If you’ve been waiting to have a party for two years, don’t you want to do it up? Thus it is that Sound of Liberation‘s plague-delayed 15th anniversary celebrations have become 17th anniversary celebrations — and frankly, having survived those extra two years is no mean feat either for a booking concern, or, you know, anyone — and the parties will be held June 10-11 in Munich and June 24-25 in Wiesbaden, Germany.

Simply put, the lineups aren’t fucking around. Colour Haze, Fu Manchu, High on Fire, 1000mods, Elder, Ufomammut, My Sleeping Karma, Yawning Man, Monkey3, The Well, Toundra, Villagers of Ionnina City, DVNE, Slomosa, Stoned Jesus, Lucid Void, and more to be announced. That pushes beyond “killer party” and into “this is actually a festival” territory, and after so much delay, I seriously doubt any of the concerned parties have a problem with that.

These will be significant evenings. If you’re going, drink it in.

As posted on socials:

sound of liberation 17 years munich poster

sound of liberation 17 years wiesbaden poster

17 YEARS SOUND OF LIBERATION FESTIVALS 2022

*** New Bands *** Day Splits *** Warm-Up Show ***

Dear friends and fans, we are excited to share a bunch of amazing news for our SOL Birthday Bashes in Munich and Wiesbaden with you.

We added some more outstanding acts to our line-ups and there’s an additional warm-up evening happening in Wiesbaden!

17 years Sound of Liberation • Backstage Munich

We’re stoked to finally share the day-splits with you!

Friday, 10th June 2022
Backstage, Munich (GER)
Line-Up: Colour Haze, High On Fire, Elder, UFOMAMMUT, Villagers of Ioannina City, Toundra, DVNE + more TBA
Tickets: http://www.sol-tickets.com

Saturday, 11th June 2022
Backstage, Munich (GER)
Line-Up: Fu Manchu, 1000mods, MY SLEEPING KARMA – OFFICIAL, Yawning Man (Official), monkey3, The Well + more TBA
Tickets: http://www.sol-tickets.com

Single-Day Tickets & Weekend Tickets are available.

17 years Sound of Liberation • Wiesbaden

Our party does now start a day earlier!

We’re proud to welcome no other than mighty UFOMAMMUT (ITA) and rising stars Slomosa (NOR) (+ one more band TBA) to rip down the Kesselhaus at Schlachthof Wiesbaden on June 24th and warm-up our neck muscles for the following full festival day!

Friday 24th June 2022
Official Festival Warm-Up
Schlachthof, Wiesbaden (GER)
Line-Up: UFOMAMMUT, Slomosa + 1 more band TBA
Tickets: http://www.sol-tickets.com

Saturday 25th June 2022
Schlachthof, Wiesbaden (GER)
Line-Up: 1000mods, Elder, MY SLEEPING KARMA – OFFICIAL, Stoned Jesus, The Well, Lucid Void + more TBA
Tickets: http://www.sol-tickets.com

We can’t wait for June, this is happening for real! Grab your tickets and join us in Munich and / or Wiesbaden

Stunning poster artwork by Malleus ROCK ART LAB

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

High on Fire, “Speedwolf” live in Los Angeles, Aug. 23, 2021

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A Day in Smoke 2022 Announced for April 30; 1000mods, Colour Haze & More to Play

Posted in Whathaveyou on February 18th, 2022 by JJ Koczan

a day in smoke 2022 banner

Sound of Liberation will host its first-ever A Day in Smoke mini-festival on April 30 in Pratteln, Switzerland. The venue, Z7, should be familiar if you’ve heard of the Up in Smoke fest that takes place there annually each Fall. A Day in Smoke, then, is an all-dayer that’s got names that will be likewise familiar if you’ve heard of either that fest or others in the Sound of Liberation booking sphere. Let me put it this way. If you’ve made it this far into the post without putting down your phone, I’m going to trust that you know what I’m talking about here.

A Day in Smoke was originally set for this past December but then blah blah. It’s April 30, and that seems like a right-now-likely-to-happen kind of thing. The first lineup announcement has a couple heavy-hitters in 1000mods, Colour Haze and Villagers of Ionnina City and with more to come, I know No Mute but I’m curious to check out Velvet Two Stripes and Meloi. Maybe you’ll be too.

Announcement was made this morning on social media:

a day in smoke 2022 poster

A Day In Smoke – 30. April 2022

Venue: Z7
City: Pratteln, Switzerland

Friends, it looks like there’s finally some light at the end of the tunnel. We’re stoked to re-announce our „A Day In Smoke“ event and are beyond happy to reconfirm so many great bands already!

Line-Up:
1000mods
Colour Haze
Villagers of Ioannina City
Velvet Two Stripes
No Mute
MELOI

+ two more bands to be announced

Date:
Saturday, 30. April 2022
Konzertfabrik Z7 – Pratteln
Pratteln, Switzerland

Tickets:
Tickets from 2021 stay valid automatically or can be returned if you can not attend the new date.
Still need to get yours? Be fast! Here you go: http://www.sol-tickets.com

We can’t wait to celebrate a full day of heavy rock’n’roll with all of you. See you soon!

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

Colour Haze, Live at Salzburg Rockhouse, Sept. 19, 2021

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