Maybe this won’t be surprising, but I like what I’m seeing from the second Bear Stone Festival announcement for 2026. The Croatian out-in-the-woods-by-the-side-of-the-river heavyfest is getting weirder and more psyched out, and from Greek kingpins Nightstalker to Netherlands-based Altın Gün to German murk-doomers Daevar to Philadelphian instrumentalist doomjazz legends Stinking Lizaveta, the evidence for that comes from multiple angles and geographic centers. There are a few acts in here I’ve never heard — Karma Sheen, The Cyclist Conspiracy, Ambra — and relative newcomers like Upupayāma and Scott Hepple and the Sun Band speak to Bear Stone‘s forward thinking approach to curating.

Couple this with Uncle Acid, Elder, My Sleeping Karma, Planet of Zeus, Travo, Ungraven and others from the first announcement — everybody thus far unveiled is on the poster below — and you get a striking, vibe-heavy picture of what’s going to be taking place those four days by the riverside just outside Slunj. And if you feel like you’re not getting that picture, hit the 2025 aftermovie below for inspiring slo-mo glories.

From the PR wire:

Bear Stone Festival 2026 – Second Lineup Announcement

Bear Stone Festival’s second lineup announcement levels up with Altın Gün, bringing their irresistible blend of Turkish Psychedelic Folk-Rock, a hypnotic collision of deep Anatolian grooves and modern Psych energy.

Joining them are Austin TV with cinematic instrumental Post-Rock, Nightstalker delivering riff-heavy Greek Stoner Rock power and Daevar unleashing crushing, atmospheric Doom-laden Stoner Rock intensity alongside with many other names!

With a rich palette spanning Doom, Psych, Stoner, Punk, Garage, Experimental Noise and beyond, the lineup is set to erupt across three stages nestled in Bear Stone’s one-of-a-kind natural landscape, where discovery, volume, and atmosphere collide into the complete festival experience.

Ticket link: https://weeztix.shop/qgd3dx58

Bear Stone Festival Hard Copy Tickets & Merch: https://shop.bearstonefestival.com/

—

ALTIN GÜN (NL)
[Psychedelic Rock/Psych Funk]

Altın Gün are an Amsterdam-based Psychedelic quintet at the forefront of the modern revival of Turkish-influenced grooves, fusing Anatolian Folk melodies with hypnotic basslines, fuzzed-out guitars, vintage organs, and an ever-evolving palette of synths and rhythms.

Drawing inspiration from 70’s Anatolian Psych-Funk, 80’s Synth-Pop, global Folk traditions, and modern Indie experimentation, their sound moves fluidly between driving dancefloor energy and mind-expanding atmospheres.

Their upcoming fifth album Garip distils that lineage into a focused tribute to Turkish folk legend Neşet Ertaş while revealing a subtler, more exploratory side of the band.

—

AUSTIN TV (MEX)
[Instrumental Post Rock/Indie-Prog]

Austin TV are a cult Mexican instrumental Post-Rock band known for powerful, cinematic songs that move from delicate build-ups to explosive, cathartic climaxes. Blending shimmering melodies with mathy rhythms and progressive dynamics, they create a sound that feels emotional, dramatic, and unpredictable like a film unfolding .

With their mysterious masked aesthetic and reputation for immersive live shows, Austin TV have become one of Latin America’s most distinctive instrumental Rock exports.

—

NIGHTSTALKER (GR)
[Stoner Rock/Desert Rock]

Nightstalker are Greek Stoner Rock pioneers from Athens, widely credited as one of the key bands that helped shape and export the Heavy Rock sound of the Mediterranean underground.

Built on towering fuzz riffs, Blues-drenched rhythms, and streetwise swagger, their music bridges Classic Hard Rock weight with a gritty modern bite.

—

DAEVAR (DE)
[Doom Rock/Atmospheric Sludge]

Daevar are a rising German Stoner Doom trio forging a sound that’s equal parts crushing weight and hypnotic atmosphere. Their songs are a combination of fuzz-saturated stomps, and melodic haze, balancing Doom heaviness with a modern, driving edge.

Their fierce momentum and thick-toned delivery have made them a must-watch name in the new wave of European Heavy Rock.

—

UPUPAYĀMA (ITA)
[Psych Kraut/Cosmic Fuzz]

Upupayāma are an Italian Psychedelic Acid-Folk project blending pastoral melodies with blown-out fuzz and trance-inducing vibes.

Expect music that feels both earthy and otherworldly, equal parts campfire ritual and full-volume psych trip.

—

VOLCANOVA (ISL)
[Stoner Metal/Volcanic Groove]

Iceland’s very own Volcanova hit with a fierce, high-voltage blend of aggressive grooves, sharp hooks, and relentless momentum. Their sound balances heavy punch with dark, modern textures built for sweat-soaked pits and shouted choruses.

Loud, fast, and unapologetically intense, Volcanova are pure adrenaline from the first note to the last.

—

ROADKILLSODA (RO)
[Boogie Punk/Garage Rock]

RoadkillSoda bring a loud, no-frills blast of gritty Hard Rock energy-packed with punchy riffs, swagger, and hooks that hit fast and stick. Their sound rides the line between dirty Garage Rock and sharp modern drive, built for shouting along with a drink in hand.

Raw, rowdy, and insanely fun live, RoadkillSoda turn every set into a full-throttle party.

—

SCOTT HEPPLE AND THE SUN BAND (UK)
[Psych Rock/Acid Rock]

Scott Hepple and The Sun Band deliver a warm, groovy blend of feel-good Soul, Funk, and sunlit Rock built on tight musicianship and infectious rhythms. Their sound is equal parts smooth and punchy, with bright melodies, crisp horns/keys energy, and vocals that keep the room smiling.

Cinematic, addictive, and deeply melodic, Scott Hepple and The Sun Band are built for singalongs under strobe lights.

—

KARMA SHEEN (UK)
[Psych Raga/Fuzz Rock]

Karma Sheen are a UK band forging a striking fusion of Psychedelic Rock and Hindustani classical raga, where hypnotic riffs meet drone, chant, and spiralling melodic improvisation.

Their sound draws on Sufi mysticism and South Asian classical tradition while still hitting with the punch and swagger of fuzzed-out 60’s Psych. Live, it feels less like a gig than a trip: mesmeric, ecstatic, and totally singular.

—

STINKING LIZAVETA (GR)
[Instrumental Noise Rock/Heavy Prog Jazz]

Stinking Lizaveta are a ferocious instrumental powerhouse, fusing crushing Rock heft with the wild freedom of Jazz and the precision of Prog. Their sound is all jagged riffs, thunderous atmosphere, and fearless improvisation that’s tight one moment and explodes the next.

Expect a set that shifts without warning: massive riffs, razor-tight interplay, and moments of pure musical freefall.

—

THE CYCLIST CONSPIRACY (RS)
[Desert Psych/Folk Fusion]

The Cyclist Conspiracy fuse Saharan Desert-Blues spirit with Balkan grit, blending World Music grooves, Rock drive, and psychedelic guitar explorations into a hypnotic instrumental trip.

Their style grows wilder and heavier as it unfolds as an immersive trance-like therapy you’ll want to sink into with your eyes closed.

—

HYPNOTIC FLOOR (AT)
[Psych Rock/Hypnotic Rock]

Hypnotic Floor blend Progressive Rock, Folk, and Psychedelia into reverb-drenched, delay-soaked journeys moving from sprawling improvised jams to tighter, garage-leaning punch without losing their hypnotic edge.

On their latest album “The Friendly Moss Forest Creatures Lives Happily In Perpetual Twilight” they dive deeper into intricate melodies and polymetric rhythms, delivering raw, high-energy Psych Rock.

—

KLAUSTRO/FONIJA (CRO)
[Psycho-Psych Rock/Post Punk Noise]

Klaustro/fonija are a Croatian Psychotic-Psychedelic Rock trio fusing Post-Punk, Noise, Experimental and Electro into a volatile, mind-bending sound.

Known for near-ritualistic live shows packed with vocal freakouts, pounding rhythms, and deep-fried guitars, they released their debut album “Rigged Phantasies” in 2025 via the North Macedonian label Mrtov Konj.

—

AMBRA (SLO)
[Post Punk/Stoner Prog]

Ambra from Slovenia deliver a heavyweight blend of Progressive Stoner Alt Metal, pairing thick, groove-driven riffs with expansive moods and sharp rhythmic turns.

They shift between hypnotic tension and explosive release that is dark, dynamic, and built for big stages where every breakdown hits like a wave.

—

http://www.bearstonefestival.com
https://www.instagram.com/bearstonefestival
https://www.facebook.com/bearstonefestival

Bear Stone Festival 2025 aftermovie

A strong first impression from Desertfest London 2025 is no big surprise. The UK’s premier heavy festival will feature Elder, as previously noted, as well as Zeal & Ardor, Amenra, Stoned Jesus, The Devil and the Almighty Blues, Planet of Zeus, Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol, Josiah, and others. Note 10,000 Years supporting their new record and first for Ripple. Note Volcanova because they’re a new-ish band on the way up. Note Bobbie Dazzle as Sian Greenaway moves forward from her time with Alunah. Note Sons of Alpha Centauri because they don’t tour a ton. Note Black Willows because they rule, on and on. There’s a lot to be unpacked here even before you get to Barbarian Hermit, Erronaut or Scott Hepple and the Sun Band, but the bottom line is the news is good.

Some of these acts will be shared with Desertfest Berlin and Desertfest Oslo, and I haven’t seen a lineup announcement for either of those yet, but it seems fair to think of it as imminent. In the meantime, Desertfest London 2025 has tickets on sale, should you either want to purchase one or spend the rest of your week until payday fantasizing about doing so and then make the buy. I haven’t been there since 2013 — would go, happily — and still feel comfortable heartily recommending the experience as life-changing for the better.

From the PR wire:

DESERTFEST LONDON ANNOUNCES FIRST WAVE OF BANDS FOR 2025 INCLUDING ZEAL & ARDOR, ELDER, AMENRA AND MORE

Friday 16th May – Sunday 18th May 2025

Weekend Tickets on sale here: www.desertfest.co.uk

Desertfest London have announced the first wave of bands for their 13th edition, which will take place across multiple venues in Camden on Friday 16th – Sunday 28th May 2025. Weekend tickets are available HERE: www.desertfest.co.uk

Swiss avant-garde metallers Zeal & Ardor are confirmed to headline the Roundhouse on Saturday night. Led by Manuel Gagneux, the group will undoubtedly deliver a masterclass in genre-pushing riffery following the release of their highly acclaimed fourth album Grief in August.

Desertfest favourites and psych-rock masters Elder will be headlining Friday night with a special performance celebrating 10 years of their album Lore, which was the band’s third full-length release and a watershed moment in their history cementing the hallmark Elder sound.

Frontman and lead guitarist Nick DiSalvo adds, “Lore is turning 10 years old. This album marked a point of departure for Elder upon a path which the band is still walking now. For us, this is the record where the band came into its own as a unique voice in the heavy rock underground. As we approach our second decade as a band, we feel it’s appropriate to look back on this landmark for us and acknowledge it properly, which is why we’re doing a tour performing the entire album along with some other tracks from our earlier catalogue; we’ll give this era of the band a proper celebration before turning our attention once again toward the future and the next album, currently being written.”

After their crushing performance at Desertfest London in 2019, the boundary defying postmetal titans Amenra will be returning to deliver shared catharsis and indoctrinate more to the Church of Ra with their undeniably powerful and haunting atmospherics.

Currently celebrating their 15th anniversary, the Ukranian trio Stoned Jesus will be bringing their mix of doom, prog and grunge whilst The Devil & The Almighty Blues will be hardhitting heavy- slung blues rock.

With new music on the horizon and known for their thunderous live reputation, Planet Of Zeus will be stirring things up, as will Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol with their selfprofessed brand of Doom-Wop.

Also announced are Josiah, Sons Of Alpha Centauri, Volcanova, Black Willows, 10,000 Years, Scott Hepple & The Sun Band, Barbarian Hermit, Erronaut and Bobbie Dazzle.

Weekend Tickets for the event are on sale now via www.desertfest.co.uk with more bands to still be announced!

FULL LINE-UP SO FAR
ZEAL & ARDOR | AMENRA | ELDER |STONED JESUS | THE DEVIL & THE ALMIGHTY BLUES |
PLANET OF ZEUS | RICKSHAW BILLIE’S BURGER PATROL | JOSIAH |
SONS OF ALPHA CENTAURI | VOLCANOVA | SCOTT HEPPLE & THE SUN BAND |
BLACK WILLOWS | 10,000 YEARS | BARBARIAN HERMIT | ERRONAUT | BOBBIE DAZZLE

TICKETS ON SALE NOW – www.desertfest.co.uk

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

Black Willows, Shemurah (2021)

The second round of lineup announcements for ReykjaDoom Festival 2024 — set for next March in Reykjavík, Iceland, as the name might hint — brings Dread Sovereign, Kælan Mikla, a reunion from Sleeping Giant (not the Aussie band, who so far as I know are still together), as well as Slor with whom I’m not familiar at all but am anxious enough to learn that I put a 15-minute demo track at the bottom of this post, and upstart heavy rockers Volcanova, who released their Cosmic Bullshit EP (review here) early in 2022.

With one announcement to go, apparently, ReykjaDoom puts focus this time more on capital-‘h’ Heavy, and fair enough, but what Kælan Mikla will bring to this bill in terms of melody and atmosphere shouldn’t be discounted, and they’re by no means the only not-stonerdoomsludgewhatever act on the bill. Very curious who’s gonna end up in that last round, but it might be October before we get there, and given the teeny-tiny sliver of a brain in my skull, well, let’s just say that sometime between now and then I’ll put it in my notes to check in. Otherwise — oh look a squirrel! You see where this is going.

The fest posted these additions one at a time in hourly increments. I’ve compiled and edited those posts a bit to make it all one thing. If anyone notices/minds/etc., I’m glad to talk through whatever’s on your mind.

Right on. Here’s the latest:

The first announcement of the day for ReykjaDoom Fest 2024 is Kælan Mikla!

The goth witches will honour us with cold dark synth pop.

Come dance with us through the night.

Please welcome the Irish trio Dread Sovereign!

Doom metal so old school there is still black metal influence in it. Couple of the members are no strangers to Iceland, as they have performed here with Primordial, Malthusian and Conan.

Dread Sovereign will start the occult at ReykjaDoom Fest 2024.

Please welcome Slor to ReykjaDoom Fest 2024!

Never leaving no one with healthy ears after a performance, the stonerdoom trio are in the process of releasing music to the world.

Sleeping Giant will reunite at ReykjaDoom Fest 2024!

This will be the first performance in more than ten years. Expect great mix of doom, stoner and death.

Please welcome Volcanova to ReykjaDoom Fest 2024!

The friendliest stoner band you will witness packed with catchy hooks and tight showmanship.

ReykjaDoom Fest 2024

Konvent (DK)
Dread Sovereign (IE)
Kælan Mikla
Altari
CXVIII
Kvelja
Múr
Sleeping Giant
Slor
Volcanova

Tickets: https://www.midix.is/en//eid/89

The last bands will be announced in the fall!

We are not done with announcements.

We got one more coming up.

https://www.facebook.com/doomcember/
https://www.instagram.com/reykjadoom/
https://www.reykjadoom.com/

A full 16 bands will play Doomlines VIII this July in Sheffield, UK, with France’s Slift and the heavy-meets-aggro Heriot headlining and support from the not-slouching-either-in-the-pissed-off-department Slabdragger and Bismarck (making the trip from Norway), as well as Ba‘al, Gozer, Volcanova (from Iceland), among others. It’s an all-dayer, and I’m not sure it’s actually possible to watch 16 bands in a span of 10 hours, even across two stages, but don’t quote me on that because some crazy bastard might just do it. Given the acts involved, it would be fun to try.

I know these days aren’t exactly short on fest news — this isn’t even the only post today about a festival lineup adding bands — but in addition to having that little foot kicking the back of my brain to force the memory of live-music-less lockdown out of the corner into which I’ve repressed it, I’ll say too that these events are worth celebrating because they show how much heart and passion goes into supporting this music.

Even ‘successful’ festivals can be a non-lucrative nightmare to book, and pretty much the only reason ever to engage the process of putting something like this together is because you believe deeply in it. So yeah, while there’s about a zero percent chance I’ll be there to see Doomlines VIII in July, I’m glad to support the support. And hey, it’s a big internet. Maybe you’re somewhere on the planet where buying a ticket makes sense, be it in or around Sheffield or in a place from which you might be up for traveling.

Tickets are on sale, and here’s the announcement from the fest:

DOOMLINES 2023 – 23rd July

Doomlines enters its eighth year with our biggest lineup yet – the only place to be for fans of heavy during Tramlines 2023.

Ticket link: https://corporation.org.uk/event/doomlines/
Venue: Corporation, Sheffield, UK
Date: 23rd July 2023

We have stunning international talent alongside the best of the Sheffield and wider UK underground, covering doom, sludge, stoner, psych and more. Without further ado, feast your eyes on:

Psych rock titans, SLIFT (France) perform their only Northern UK date of the year. Alongside them witness meteoric British newcomers, Heriot. That’s on top of Slabdragger, Bismarck (Norway), The Infernal Sea, Thank, Longheads, Crepitation, ATVM, Volcanova (Iceland), Ba’al, Lowen, Gozer, Bodach, Chapel Floods and Le Menhir.

Doors open at 12:30 on the Sunday of Tramlines (23rd July), meaning wall to wall bands across two stages until 10:30pm, no clashes, no BS. With food stalls (plant-based options included) and merch, you won’t need to leave Corporation for anything. Situated within walking distance of Sheffield’s train and bus stations, we look forward to welcoming fans from outside the city. If visiting, it’s recommended to book accommodation ASAP.

We also have the Warm Up Show on Friday (21st July) featuring Diploid (Australia), Dead In Latvia, Casing and Void Maw. Damn son.

See you there.

FB event: https://www.facebook.com/events/3420066691566268/

https://www.facebook.com/churchoftheholyspider
https://www.instagram.com/holyspiderpromo/
https://holyspiderpromotions.bigcartel.com/

Heriot, “Demure” official video

Last day. I guess we made it. There was never any doubt it would happen, but I wouldn’t call this the smoothest Quarterly Review ever by any stretch. Weather, canceled school, missed bus, The Patient Mrs. about to start a new semester at work, plus that day that had three noise rock records right in a row — who slots these things? (me) — it hasn’t all been easy. But, if you’ve ever read the QR you might know I’ve developed a tendency to load a bunch of killer stuff into the last day to kind of give myself a break, and here we are. No regrets.

Thanks for reading this week (and any other week if you’ve ever been on this site before). Here’s how we finish.

Quarterly Review #41-50:

Dream Unending, Tide Turns Eternal

Beautiful and sad, this first collaboration between drummer/vocalist Justin DeTore (Solemn Lament, ex-Magic Circle, many more) and guitarist/bassist Derrick Vella (Tomb Mold, Outer Heaven) under the moniker of Dream Unending harnesses a classic early ’90s death-doom melancholy, but it’s not as raw as the image of My Dying Bride circa ’92 that might bring to mind. If you want to do mashups, think Novembers Doom meets Alternative 4-era Anathema. Tide Turns Eternal brings together seven songs in 46 minutes and is memorable in stretches like the guitar progression of “In Cipher I Weep” and the crushing chug of the title-track as the Massachusetts/Toronto duo harness the a true sense of classic death metal just ahead of the two-minute weepy guitar interlude “Forgotten Farewell” and the 10-minute closing title-track. Perhaps there’s some inspiration from Bell Witch in the making, but Dream Unending‘s atmosphere and patience are their own.

Dream Unending on Instagram

20 Buck Spin website

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Mud Spencer, Fuzz Soup

The title don’t lie. French expat Sergio Garcia, living in Indonesia, concocts 11 instrumental tracks of fuzzy flood, and if he wants to call that soup, then yeah, that’s as good as anything I’ve got. “Razana” opens with two minutes of garage-style strut, while “Back to Origin” crunches and “Fuzz Soup” feels a bit more of a psych freakout with its lead guitar and drums that remind of Witch, all performed by Garcia, who adds organ to boot. “Quest for Fire” is probably more in homage to the movie than band, which is a little sad, but the song brings in some minor scales and droning atmospherics, and “Ride the Mammoth” pushes more straightforward into the languid wah whatnottery of “Argapura” at the presumed start of side B, which feels rawer in “The Shelter” and more chaotic in the buzz of “Surfin’ the Dune” before “The Cheating Mole” turns to nighttime darkjazz, “Tumulous” turns its acoustic start into a hairy march punctuated and grounded by the pop of snare, and closer “Narcolepsy” finishes with a duly zombified, organ-laced take on tape-trader doom. These experiments work well together throughout Fuzz Soup, united by weird and unpredictable as they are.

Mud Spencer on Facebook

Argonauta Records website

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Farfisa, Gänger

Gänger is third in a purported series of four EPs by Manchester, UK, four-piece Farfisa, and its four songs solidify some of the more let-go aspects of 2020’s Bravado, taking the folkish shine of a cut like “My Oh My” and turning it into the dug-in garage prog rock of “Honey Badger” and riffing out dirty and fuzzed on “River Rash.” Frankly, I don’t know why, having once conjured tones like those of the penultimate “Clinton” here, which sound like something that would make Ty Segall start a new band, one would ever not do that again, but I won’t claim to know what the fourth EP in the series might bring. One can only hope that, when the series is wrapped, they compile it into some sort of offering — a double-tape or some such — and release the whole thing together. As it stands though, Gänger is my first exposure to the band, and they smash through “Limitator” with due prejudice. I can think of five record labels off the top of my head who’d be lucky to have these guys, but nobody asks me these things.

Farfisa on Facebook

Farfisa on Bandcamp

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Volcanova, Cosmic Bullshit

Fucking a, rock and roll. Reykjavik’s Volcanova aren’t through “Salem,” the lead cut from their righteously titled Cosmic Bullshit EP, before they’ve cadenced Uncle Acid in the verse and broken out the cowbell, so yes, it’s that kind of party. That cowbell comes back almost immediately for “Gold Coast,” which tramps out big riffs like Def Leppard used to make, and “Desolation” brings the bass forward effectively in its hook, the band having already built fervent momentum that will carry through the rest of the 26-minute mini-album. Not to pick favorites, but “End of Time” feels purposefully placed near the middle, and “No Wheels” — yup, more cowbell — splits that and closer “Lost Spot” well, giving a grounded stretch of pure shove before the finale hard-boogies and big-drifts its way to a surprising wash of an ending, organ included. You don’t call your release Cosmic Bullshit if you’re not looking to get attention, and Volcanova certainly earn that with these tracks.

Volcanova on Facebook

The Sign Records website

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Aiwass & Astral Contruct, Solis in Stellis

The premier collaboration between Arizona’s Aiwass and Colorado’s Astral Construct — the latter also stylized as ASTRAL COnstruct — is a seven-minute single called “Solis in Stellis” that bridges terrestrial and ethereal heavy psychedelias. At a bit under eight minutes, its melodic flourish and weighted underpinning of low end, drifting guitar and fluid rhythmic progression sound like nothing so much as the beginning of an album that should be made if it’s not currently in the works between Drew Patricks (Astral Construct) and Blake Carrera (Aiwass), who both function as solo artists in their respective projects but come together here to show the complementary potential of each for the other. Lush in atmosphere, patient in its delivery and spacious without being overwrought, “Solis in Stellis” is hopefully the beginning of more to come from these two, who might just end up having to call themselves the Aiwass Construct if they keep going the way they are.

Aiwass on Facebook

Astral Construct on Instagram

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Doctor Smoke, Dreamers and the Dead

Seven years after 2014’s The Witching Hour, Ohio’s Doctor Smoke return with Dreamers and the Dead, a solid 10-song/42-minute run that makes up for lost time by reimagining ’90s-era Megadeth sneer as dark and catchy heavy rock and roll. The four-piece led by founding guitarist/vocalist Matt Tluchowski may have let a few years get by them — that’ll happen — but if the intervening time was spent hammering out these songs, the effort shows itself in the efficiency with which each cut makes its point and gets out, a song like “These Horrid Things” casting its mood in the verses before opening to the chorus, winding fretwork building tension into and subsequently through the solo. This is a revamp of the idea of a classic metal influence, the first instance of a generational shift I can think of that’s bringing this particular vibe to a heavy rock context — the pounding and sprinting of the title-track might’ve been thrash in the ’80s, but a decade later it was thicker and so it is here as well — and Doctor Smoke make it theirs, no question. One wonders what the next seven years will bring.

Doctor Smoke on Facebook

Ripple Music website

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Willowater, Loyal

Rebranded from their moniker of Sierra, Ontario progressive heavy rockers Willowater bring the four-track/14-minute EP as a quick hello to listeners new and old. Guitarist/vocalist Jason Taylor and bassist/drummer/vocalist Robbie Carvalho (also synth) chug out in early-Tool fashion on the opener “Ultimatum,” and the subsequent title-track answers back in kind with shared vocals and a bit of twisting, pulled squeals of guitar, and so on, while “Fly High” calls to mind Dio-style riffing with a bassline to bolster the classic metal vibe, and “Winter Now” builds a tension in its keyboard-laced 3:26 that, somewhat maddeningly, never pays itself off. Perhaps the message there is of more to come. Hope so, anyhow. Sierra were a quality band, and undervalued. Willowater seem to be taking another shot at catching as many ears as possible. A fresh start. Not so crazy different from what they were doing before, but sometimes a name can make all the difference.

Willowater on Facebook

Willowater on Bandcamp

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All Are to Return, II

This second EP from the anonymous Dutch outfit All Are to Return reignites the brutality of their 2020 self-titled debut short release (review here), while expanding the stylistic reach. Opener “Carceri” tips into industrial black metal before resolving itself in harsh screams and drones, while “Surveiller et Punir” feels even more experimental/art rock with tortured screams far back under noisy guitar. “Classified” is shorter and more beat-oriented, but the distorted wash of “Postscript on the Societies of Control” (bit of positive thinking there, almost in spite of itself) is abrasive as fuck, such that the quiet, minimal synth that starts “De Profundis” accompanied by more obscured screams seems almost like a relief before it builds to its own post-Godflesh industrialized crush. They finish atmospheric on “Desiring Machines,” blowing out conceptions of extreme music in about the time it takes for you to put on your shoes and jacket so you can go out, wander into the wilderness, and never be heard from again.

All Are to Return on Bandcamp

Tartarus Records website

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Mountain Sides, Mountain Sides

Members of Mirror Queen, the just-signed-to-Tee–Pee-proper Limousine Beach (really, I haven’t even had the chance to post the news yet), Zombi, Ruby the Hatchet and Osees coming together for three Mountain covers. Mountain Sides do “You Better Believe It,” “Dreams of Milk and Honey” and “Travelin’ in the Dark,” and they knock it out of the park accordingly. I don’t know that this would ever get to become a real band between the commitments of Morgan McDaniel, David Wheeler and Steve Moore, let alone Owen Stewart (Ruby the Hatchet‘s drummer) or Paul Quattrone from Osees and a geographic spread between New York, Philly, Pittsburgh and Los Angeles, but as a quick outing to test the waters, these three songs want nothing for vibe. Of course, being Mountain songs helps, but it almost inevitably would. Still, I’d take a record of tunes they wrote themselves, even if it doesn’t happen for another decade because everyone’s busy.

Mountain Sides on Bandcamp

Tee Pee Records Digital Annex

—

 

Duncan Park, Invoking the Flood

Serenity in experimentalist drone and psychedelia, marked by the interplay of organic folk and otherworldly elements of fluid aural adventures. The backward, swelling repetitions of “The Alluring Pool” answer the watery worldmaking of leadoff “Rivers are a Place of Power,” the backing chimes reminding of water moving the air, the acoustic guitar on centerpiece “Riverbank” furthering the theme in sweetly plucked notes while Duncan Park (who also collaborates with Seven Rivers of Fire) picks up the journey again on “The Winding Stream” with a current of melody playing beneath the main acoustic lines of the song, instrumental in its entirety. Invoking the Flood, apart perhaps from some warning that might be read into the opener, grows more peaceful as it goes, though Park‘s inclusion of vocals on closer “Over the River” speaks perhaps of other tributaries waiting to be explored. Still, it is a sweet and encompassing, if short, trip downstream with Park here, and if the flood comes, at least we had a good time.

Duncan Park on Facebook

Ramble Records on Bandcamp

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Don’t front, you’ve got two minutes to check out something new today. I know everybody’s busy — hey, me too — but Iceland’s Volcanova aren’t asking the world with their new single “No Wheels,” and I’m underselling it by saying it’s worth the time it takes to listen. The three-piece made their debut last year with Radical Waves (review here) and hit the right marks in their classic stoner rock worship, and I don’t know much about anything, but when you call your next release Cosmic Bullshit, it’s safe to say you’re looking for some attention. It’s likewise probably safe to assume they’ll get some doing an 18-date stretch alongside countrymen frontrunners-of-form The Vintage Caravan.

After you take that entire two minutes to listen to “No Wheels,” should you want to dig back to Radical Waves before you’re subsumed in the forthcoming Cosmic Bullshit, you’ll find the Bandcamp player down at the bottom of the post.

Info came down the PR wire:

VOLCANOVA Release New Single “No Wheels” & Announce Tour with The Vintage Caravan

Icelandic stoner rock outfit Volcanova are back with their first new music since the band’s highly acclaimed 2020 debut album, ‘Radical Waves’. The trio has launched their new single, titled ”No Wheels”, on streaming services. A super-groovy, fuzz-rock explosion featuring Volcanova’s signature three-layer vocal harmonies, thick riffing, and spaced out lyrics. The new single is the first taste of the power-trio’s upcoming EP ‘Cosmic Bullshit’, which will see a 2022 release. In addition to the new single, Volcanova have also announced an 18-date European tour supporting The Vintage Caravan.

‘Radical Waves’ was finally celebrated successfully in October 2021 and played in its entirety, to a nearly sold out venue Húrra in Reykjavík, after countless cancellations due to Covid19. Volcanova has recorded their second album, an EP by the name of ‘Cosmic Bullshit’ consisting of 6 songs. The EP was recorded and mixed by Helgi Durhuus of Studio Helvíti in August and September 2021, mastered by Esben Willems of Studio Berserk and released via The Sign Records in early 2022.

Volcanova’s drummer Dagur Atlason on “No Wheels”:
“Doesn’t it feel good to cruise around and be free? Whether your ride is a crusty old camper van, an electric scooter or a skateboard, just you and the open road. But what if you didn’t have to depend on roads? What if your ride could take off, to anywhere you want? Because in this case, our ride has no wheels. Hoverboarding into outer space with nothing left to lose and only the groove as your sidekick.”

”No Wheels” is out now on all streaming platforms via The Sign Records.

2022 Monuments Tour – The Vintage Caravan and Volcanova
25.02 Turock – Essen (DE)
26.02 Q-Factory – Amsterdam (NL)
27.02 Das Bett – Frankfurt (NL)
01.03 Cassiopeia – Berlin (DE)
02.02 Headcrash – Hamburg (DE)
03.03 Little Devil – Tilburg (NL)
03.03 Het Bolwerk – Sneek (NL)
05.03 AB Club – Bruxelles (BE)
06.03 Artheater – Cologne (DE)
07.07 Backstage Halle – Munich (DE)
09.03 Orpheum Extra – Graz (AT)
10.03 PMK – Innsbruck (AT)
11.03 OKH – Vocklabruck (AT)
12.03 Papiersaal – Zurich (CH)
13.03 CCO Villeurbanne – Lyon (FR)
14.03 Backstage BTM – Paris (FR)
15.03 Le Grand Mix – Tourcoing (FR)
16.03 Le Ferrailleur – Nantes (FR)

Volcanova:
Samúel Ásgeirsson – Guitar and vocals
Þorsteinn Árnason – Bass and vocals
Dagur Atlason – Drums and vocals

https://www.facebook.com/volcanova
https://www.instagram.com/volcanovaofficial/
https://volcanova.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/thesignrecords/
http://www.thesignrecords.com

Volcanova, “No Wheels”

Volcanova, Radical Waves (2020)

Volcanova will release their debut album, Radical Waves, on Aug. 21 through The Sign Records. Denizens of the widely-varied pastiche that is the Icelandic heavy underground — from Icecross of yore to Sólstafir to Misþyrming to The Vintage Caravan, the heavy rock elders of Brain Police, etc. — the trio arrive after six years with a collection of 10 cuts (nine plus an intro) of willful heavy rock for heavy rock heads digging into raw post-Kyuss energy on songs like “Super Duper Van,” with Queeny vocal melodies over gritty riffs and shouted verses. The vibe? Depends who you ask. Check out the post-intro opener “Where’s the Time” and the vibe is go-go-gone. Dig into “I’m Off” a couple tracks later and there’s a spacey beginning before one of Radical Waves‘ most vicious stomps ensues, and then the harmonized voices and a bit of largesse in the roll resumes for “Stoneman” at the end of side A and there’s even some drift to coincide.

It’s a deceptive collection in that with “Where’s the Time” or the also-cowbell-infused, ultra-Fu Manchu‘ed companion toe-tapper “Sushi Sam” at the start of side B, the Reykjavik-based trio set you up to expect simple Kyuss worship — and that’s part of it, no doubt, but by no means is that all that’s happening throughout. “Sushi Sam” — which is premiering below — and the swaggering “Mountain” are a blast, while “M.O.O.D.” pulls a bit more from the Deliverance-era Corrosion of Conformity playbook (while thankfully avoiding the trap of Down-esque chestbeating that so much of that style falls into), and “Got Game” brings in some more airy guitar work in its back half en route to “Lights” at the end, which winds its way forward initially, only to draw back at its midpoint to an evocative wistful stretch of guitar that one suspects is the basis for the YOB comparison the PR wire makes below, reminiscent as it is of that band’s masterpiece “Marrow” as it builds up to cap the album, swirling lead and all, finishing with string sounds — one assumes it’s keys or synth of some sort — having covered a surprising amount of ground for a song that’s just under six minutes long.

Are they preaching to the converted? Okay yeah, probably, but that’s hardly a reason not to get down. The prevailing spirit of Radical Waves is an energy-infused kick in the ass that makes itself welcome through the trio’s performance and the sense of the good time they’re having playing the songs, which turns out to be no less infectious than the songs themselves. Going forward from this debut, I wouldn’t be surprised if Volcanova pushed deeper into vocal arrangements and worked to add some of the complexity heard in the beginning of “Stoneman” or the end of “Lights” into their material more generally, but that’s a progression that needs to happen naturally if it’s going to happen at all, and honestly, what’s more important than sonic growth is that they’re playing what they want to play, which it seems very much here like they are. That that comes through so sharply on their first album alone makes it a win.

“Sushi Sam,” with its own cover art and everything, is being issued as a standalone single tomorrow, May 22, ahead of Radical Waves‘ release, but the album is worth focusing on, so if you take it as advance notice three months ahead of time, right on. Nothing like being prepared and all that.

Enjoy the track:

In an alternate reality where Kyuss was born in the barren, volcanic landscape of Iceland, emerges the unholy trio Volcanova. With members hailing from three corners of this unique island of lava fields, glaciers, and hot springs, Volcanova comes together to erupt a fresh take on desert rock.

Building on this style, the band pays homage to the crushing doom of Black Sabbath as well as progressive sludge in the vein of modern bands like Mastodon and Gojira. But wait, there’s more! Volcanova can turn seamlessly to thunderous fuzzy riffs in the style of Fu Manchu or somber moments akin to YOB — all coupled with an irreverent live show that’s straight out of a Red Fang video. There is never a dull moment with Volcanova.

Volcanova was founded in the summer of 2014 with principle song writer Samúel Ásgeirsson on guitar and vocals. After a few lineup changes, the band finally settled on a winning formula with Þorsteinn Árnason of (Rock Paper Sisters) on bass and vocals and Dagur Atlason (Churchhouse Creepers) on drums and vocals.

The trio has an infectious groove and togetherness that’s bolstered by an ability to pull off three-part vocal harmonies, keeping audiences rocking and rolling. Uplifting moments with epic guitar solos are underpinned by headbanging bass grooves and complemented with a tasteful use of cowbell — because who doesn’t have that fever?

Due out August 21st, 2020 via The Sign Records, Volcanova’s debut album Radical Waves will surely propel the band to new heights.

Album Tracklist:
1. Welcome
2. Where’s the Time?
3. Super Duper Van
4. I’m Off
5. Stoneman Snowman
6. Sushi Sam
7. Mountain
8. M.O.O.D.
9. Got Game
10. Lights

Volcanova are:
Samúel Ásgeirsson on guitar and vocals
Þorsteinn Árnason on bass and vocals
Dagur Atlason on drums and vocals

Volcanova on Thee Facebooks

Volcanova on Instagram

The Sign Records on Thee Facebooks

The Sign Records website