Desertfest London announces final bands and day splits for 2023, including Nebula, Dozer, Fatso Jetson + more

Desertfest London announces final bandsand day splits for 2023, including Nebula, Dozer, Fatso Jetson + more

Friday 5th May – Sunday 7th May 2023 Weekend and day tickets on sale now via www.desertfest.co.uk

Desertfest London have announced the final bands and day-splits for 2023’s line-up, which will be taking place across Camden from Friday 5th to Sunday 7th May and promises to be heavier than the King’s coronation crown.

The final few bands to join the already stellar line-up includes the heavy groove rocking trio Nebula, Sweden’s stalwarts of stoner Dozer and the godfathers of the Desert Fatso Jetson. French post-metallers Year Of No Light will also be playing their first London show since 2013.

Also joining the line-up is Antwerp’s Gnome who will bring their dirty riffs, anarcho-punks Bad Breeding to get everyone fired up and acclaimed virtuoso Cellist Jo Quail to bring another dynamic to proceedings.

Electric Funeral will also be keeping the party going with a Sabbath covers set at Friday night’s after party and the festival is completed with Elder Druid, Kurokuma, Firebreather, Earth Moves, Untitled With Drums, Graywave, Mountains, Rosy Finch, Lowen, Homecoming, Wall and Death Wvrm.

Weekend and day tickets are available via www.desertfest.co.uk

The final additions join festival headliners and cult heroes Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats who will be playing the Roundhouse for the very first time. As one of the most widely-requested bands in the Desertfest-sphere, Uncle Acid’s trippy and melodic riff-driven hard-rock is uniquely original, yet an utterly timeless beast and will close Desertfest 2023 in a mystical cloud of doom and awe.

Friday’s headliners are none other than Swedish heavy-blues maestros Graveyard who will draw out raw emotion with their lyrical prowess & introspective compositions whilst Saturday welcomes back Corrosion of Conformity who have not been on UK soil since 2018 so expect big, loud and memorable things from their appearance at the festival!

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Full Line-Up for Desertfest London 2023:

FRIDAY 5TH MAY

ELECTRIC BALLROOM

GRAVEYARD
KADAVAR
CHURCH OF MISERY
VALLEY OF THE SUN
SPACESLUG
ELECTRIC FUNERAL (AFTER PARTY)

UNDERWORLD

DISCHARGE
BAD BREEDING
DAWN RAY'D
KUROKUMA
TERROR COSMICO

POWERHAUS

YEAR OF NO LIGHT
SUM OF R
EARTH MOVES
WYATT E
IRON JINN

BLACK HEART

ECSTATIC VISION
PLAINRIDE
LONGHEADS
VINNUM SABBATHI
GNOB
MARGARITA WITCH CULT

THE DEV

DOMMENGANG
UNTITLED WITH DRUMS
MOUNTAINS
TROY THE BAND
DEATH WVRM

SATURDAY 6TH MAY

ELECTRIC BALLROOM

CORROSION OF CONFORMITY
CROWBAR
WEEDEATER
DOZER
FASTO JETSON

UNDERWORLD

UNSANE
INTER ARMA
GRAVE LINES
STAKE
TUSKAR
WREN

POWERHAUS

CHURCH OF THE COSMIC SKULL
TELEKINETIC YETI
THE NECROMANCERS
DEATHCHANT
EARLY MOODS

BLACK HEART

SAMAVAYO
HIGH DESERT QUEEN
MR BISON
OUR MAN IN THE BRONZEAGE
TREVOR'S HEAD
TONS

THE DEV

ELDER DRUID
OREYEON
ROSY FINCH
LOWEN
HOMECOMING

SUNDAY 7TH MAY

ROUNDHOUSE

UNCLE ACID & THE DEADBEATS
BORIS
KING BUFFALO
NEBULA
BLOOD CEREMONY

UNDERWORLD

SOMALI YACHT CLUB
GAUPA
MARS RED SKY
GNOME
WEEDPECKER
ACID MAMMOTH
GREAT ELECTRIC QUEST (AFTER PARTY)

POWERHAUS

BIG|BRAVE
JO QUAIL
ZETRA
EVEREST QUEEN
GRAYWAVE

BLACK HEART

CELESTIAL SANCTURY
MORASS OF MOLASSES
WARREN SCHOENBRIGHT
VENOMWOLF
BLOODSWAMP
BLACK GROOVE

THE DEV

THUNDER HORSE
FIREBREATHER
THE AGE OF TRUTH
EARL OF HELL
WALL

Clouds Taste Satanic - Tales Of Demonic Possession (Album Review)

Release Date: February 03rd 2023. Record Label: Self Released (USA) / Majestic Mountain Records (Europe). Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Tales Of Demonic Possession: Tracklisting

Aquaveil
The Ultimate Grace Of God
Black Mother
Afterlife
Universal Goddess
Dog Headed God
Sat Nam (Vision)

Members

Sean Bay - Bass
Steven Scavuzzo - Guitars
Greg Acampora - Drums
Brian Bauhs - Guitars

Review

Instrumental Doom/Stoner Rockers Clouds Taste Satanic return with their new album Tales Of Demonic Possession with band providing four new tracks that run over eighty minutes in length. The album features the usual great mix of Psychedelic sounds and trippy effects the band are known for. Though, the band show a more melodic outlook with their music on this album. Throw in Spaced Out and Cosmic Effects which you can hear throughout the epic runtime of the album.

Tales Of Demonic Possession allows Clouds Taste Satanic to perhaps be considered as one of the leading lights of the Instrumental Doom/Stoner Metal scene. These guys are know setting the scene for other bands to follow and possibly influence the future generation of Instrumental Rock/Metal bands.

With this being their seventh full length release, Clouds Taste Satanic have still managed to create a groundbreaking album that's vastly different to their previous releases but retaining their trademark sound as well.

First song Flames And Demon Drummers show a more reflective and even hopeful band at the start with lush Psychedelic and Dreamlike grooves before the band return to their gloomy atmospheric sound. Elements of Psych Rock, Space Rock and Classic Hard Rock appear with a slight distorted path before the music turns into a heavier and groovier style of Doom/Stoner Metal. Clouds Taste Satanic do cover a lot of ground here on this song but they do this with such grace and style that there's a highly volatile melodic style especially when traces of Progressive Rock/Metal appear within the non-stop avalanche of extended jams and groovy guitar solos.

Second song Sun Death Ritual offers a bleak distorted sound with this perhaps being the most out-there track on the album. As Clouds Taste Satanic perform multiple different styles of the WEEDIAN underground scene but with a sublime SONIC and COSMIC aggressive drive. Different Psychedelic and Spaced Out textures when merged with a classic style of Doom/Stoner Riff Exploration. The song is dense, loud and superbly melodic with the band showing traces of that classic BLACK SABBATH sound. The song runs past the twenty one minute mark and the band switch to different styles of music with absolute gusto and swagger.

The second half of the album is even more VIVID with wilder song structures on the tracks Spirits Of The Green Desert and Conjuring The Dark Rider. The album becomes more heavier and gloomier with the band returning ever slightly to the Doom Metal roots. Though, the band still explore offer areas of the Heavy Stoner Rock/Metal world. There's also a deep love and influence for 1970's sounding Prog Rock, Doom, Psych Rock and Space Rock on this part of the album.

The production is wonderful with the album sounding incredible from start to finish especially when the heavier Psychedelic and Cosmic grooves appear.

Tales Of Demonic Possession is EPIC and CINEMATIC in scope with Clouds Taste Satanic delivering perhaps their best work to date and maybe the best Instrumental Rock/Metal album of the year, even this early on.

This is a must have album. So you know what to do come release time. Add this to your collection right away. This is a future classic in the making.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Sheltered Life for the promo.

Tales Of Demonic Possession will be available to buy on DD/Vinyl via Clouds Taste Satanic (USA) and Majestic Mountain Records (Europe) from February 03rd 2023.

Clouds Taste Satanic Links:

Facebook | BandCamp

Psychedelic Doom Band Owls & Eagles Announce Debut Album Patience Vol. 1 - Release First Single.

Owls & Eagles, a two piece psychedelic doom band from Calgary Alberta announce their debut album Patience Vol. 1 and release the first single from the album called "Enlightenment".

Purchase the track here:​https://owlsneagles.bandcamp.com/track/enlightenment

 

The album will release on June 1st through Moments Records.

This upcoming album is a concept album, its taken us 2.5 years to get it out.

Produced and engineered by Jamie K at Prohibitor Studios Calgary.

Artwork by Broken Wing Visual Media

Our story starts with Patience realizing her home has become poisoned by hate, greed, and corruption. She makes a choice; she chooses to leave this place she has called home since birth. For once in her life, she sees everyone for who they really are, liars, cheaters, destroyers, killers of the land, pure evil at its fullest. She leaves and never turns back.

Owls & Eagles are:

Mark Russell - vocals/drums
Ross ferguson - guitar/vocals

Connect with Owls & Eagles:

http://www.facebook.com/Owlseaglesyyc
http://instagram.com/owlsneaglesyyc
https://owlsneagles.bandcamp.com/track/enlightenment

JAGGU - Rites For The Damned (Album Review)

Release Date: January 27th 2023. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD/Vinyl

Rites For The Damned: Tracklisting

1.Carnage 03:49

2.Earth Murder 04:00

3.Mindgap 04:30

4.Electric Blood 06:22

5.Lenina Ave 06:40

6.Enthralled 05:28

7.Marching Stride 04:55

8.God To Be Through 04:41

Review

JAGGU is a new discovery for me and I fell in love with their bombastic style of Progressive Psych/Doom/Stoner/Sludge Metal that reminds me of Mastodon and Baroness but with JAGGU playing a more alternative style of music. Their new album Rites For The Damned has a similar feeling to Crack The Skye with its use of Trance inducing Psych grooves and Progressive Metal beats.

Opening song Carnage lasts under four minutes but feels twice as long with JAGGU using different melodic structures against multiple psychedelic backdrops with the music being quite catchy and aggressive at the same time. There is a sense of Modern Day Rock/Metal within JAGGU’s music and their addictive lyrics only add to this effect. The music is quite harsh in places and becomes more exciting when the band switch to a more mellow style of Psych Rock/Metal that has a Post-Stoner or Post-Doom vibe.

Second song Earth Murder sees JAGGU continue with their Progressive Stoner/Sludge journey with a more hardcore feeling with Mastodon-esque grooves but still allowing JAGGU to do their own thing. The vocals are an inspired choice giving the band a meaner attitude. The music is quite cinematic in places but JAGGU still maintains a chaotic edge when the band plays a faster style. The song has some epic breakdowns and multiple changes within the creative dynamics of the song.

Third song Mindgap is a song I had the most issues with originally. As I felt JAGGU overstretched themselves here with the different styles of music they employ here. However, after a few listens I started to enjoy the song much more especially with the trippy and progressive riffs that appear throughout the song. The song has an Alt Rock approach with the vocals being quite different in places. JAGGU added elements of Space Rock and Stadium Rock into the mix for this song and there’s some wonderful guitar solos that bring a sense of impending DOOM into the overall sound and feel of the album.

Fourth song Electric Blood is where JAGGU impressed me the most with their use of Hardcore growls and clean based vocals. The song feels inspired by MUSE and DEVIN TOWNSEND with the music still being firmly within the Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metal environment. The song is mighty Progressive with JAGGU perhaps playing one of the album's standout tracks. 

The second half of Rites For The Damned is just as exciting and crazed as the first half with JAGGU bringing a Post-Metal effect on this part of the album especially on tracks such as Lenina Ave, Marching Stride and God To Be Through. #

JJAGGU show they’re highly talented and fantastic musicians on Rites For The Damned. They have written some truly outstanding complex songs for this album and have some epic creative ideas of their own to gain further attention within the underground scene.

Rites For The Damned is an unexpected delight and is worthy to be added to anyone’s record collection like it has with mine.

Words by Steve Howe

Links:

Official | Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Earthbong - proceed as one (EP Review)

Release Date: January 27th 2023. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD

proceed as one: Tracklisting

1.Fathead 14:18

2.Wax 06:22

Members

Tommy - Drums

Ogo - Guitars

Selly - Bass/Vocals

Review

German Doom/Stoner Metal Riffsters Earthbong return with their new EP - proceed as one. The EP features their usual heavy style of long drawn out Doom/Stoner Metal with the emphasis on LOW & SLOW extended jams. The music is obviously powered by the mighty WEED or BONG the band like to describe their music themselves. Taking shades of power from bands such as Black Sabbath and SLEEP, the band perhaps take a more heavier distorted approach especially on the epic opening song Fathead.

Fathead features Psychedelic Droned Out textures with a pummelling backline bringing an aggressive attitude to the mix. The music has a bleak sonic sound for Earthbong to project their bleak creative sound and vision on this track. The vocals are a mixture of screams, screeches and death growls that allows the band to have a more menacing feel compared to othe bands of the WEEDIAN underground scene. Earthbong perhaps becomes a more exciting unit when playing a more Psychedelic and stripped back sound which harks back to the classic days of Stoner Rock/Metal. The neverending use of guitar solos is flashy and over the top but makes this track an exciting style for the band to fully explore. Though, the second half of the song goes slightly further into the more extreme side of Doom/Stoner Metal with harsh distorted grooves.

Second song Wax continues with the down-tuned sounds from the opening song but with a more highly polished style of Psych Rock/Metal and Droned atmospherics. Earthbong bring a sense of nihilism to this track with the bleak lyrics and Selly’s vocals leading the way. 

Despite the harsh heaviness of the EP, Earthbong remain fully committed to the WEEDIAN or BONG cause with the music paying homage to the legendary bands of the scene whilst forging an exciting future of their own with “proceed as one”. The production values are stellar even allowing Earthbong to remain true to their DIY roots.

This EP is another excellent and welcome release from the band. This will satisfy long time admirers of the band until their new album is released later this year.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Links:

Facebook | BandCamp

Musician/Solo Artist To Check Out - Jon Watkins

Jon Watkins is a Composer/Guitarist from Montreal, Quebec who creates Ambient/Experimental music that draws in other areas of music such as Drone, Electronica, Psychedelic and Post-Rock especially on his latest superb release You Can' Go Home Anymore. This album is the perfect gateway into Jon's haunting creative vision that he's created on many of his subsequent releases which are held on his BandCamp page.

If you like minimalist music with an experimental and abstract edge than Jon Watkins is a solo artist you should definitely check out. Jon's music conveys so many moods despite the solitary feel of it all and the lack of many instruments doesn't stop Jon for creating a superbly engaging release especially on his latest release. The music can be quite cold and unforgiving in places but it can also be warmhearted and uplifting as well.

Check out Jon's music and you'll be surprised what you hear.

Links

BandCamp

Tidal Wave - The Lord Knows (Album Review)

Release Date: January 20th 2023. Record Label: Ripple Music. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

The Lord Knows: Tracklisting

1.Lizard King 04:08

2.End Of The Line 03:33

3.Marijuana Trench 06:28

4.Pentagram 05:44

5.Robbero Bobbero 04:38

6.By Order Of The King 05:37

7.Purple Bird 05:07

8.Thorsakir 05:56

Members

Alexander "Sunkan" Sundqvist - Vocals

Jesper "Jeeperbahn" Sjödin - Guitar

Adam "Aden" Nordin - Bass

Rasmus "Raz" Sundberg - Drums

Review

The Lord Knows is the new album from Swedish Grunge/Fuzz/Stoner Metallers Tidal Wave and is a major step up in quality compared to their debut album which I’m a huge fan of. On this album Tidal Wave embraces a more thunderous sound that marches through the hey-day of 80’s and 90’s Hard Rock and Heavy Metal with a few unexpected heavy grooves along the way.

For thi album, Tidal Wave employs a wicked sounding Grunge/Fuzz/Stoner Meal hybrid sound with a lush sounding Psychedelic backdrop. 

Opening song Lizard King is a song that could only come from the Swedish underground Stoner scene. As it crackles with genuine FUZZ based excitement and has elements of bands such as DOZER and LOWRIDER into the mix. The music is easily addictive with the Desert Rock based FUZZ and subdued grungy melodic grooves. Throw in some heavy 80’s based Hard Rock guitar riff worship and Sunkan’s energetic vocals and Tidal Wave become more and more like a KICK-ASS modern day Stoner Rock/Metal band.

Second song End Of The Line is another fast-paced offering with the band using a harsher style of  content especially with the lyrics. The Stoner Metal grooves are spliced with 80’s Heavy Metal riffs for a darker style of music that comes into play on the later stages of the album. This has a similar style setup that KVELERTAK uses for their music. So expect moments of bleak sounding melodies and commercial metal sounding parts combining for a first rate riff-centric adventure.

Third song Marijuana Trench is a gloomy WEEDIAN offering with the FUZZ sound becoming more wicked and slightly distorted especially when the classic Fuzz/Stoner sounds appear. Tidal Wave can’t help themselves inject that 80’s Thrash Metal appetite into the mix with Sunkan’s “Devil May Care” vocals being one of the best parts of the song. The music is quite surreal at times but Tidal Wave have a great talent for writing music that can be classed as Stoner and Heavy Metal at the same time. 

Fourth song Pentagram was a major surprise as Tidal Wave hit upon an almost Black Metal atmosphere for this track that allows the band to play the darkest and heaviest grooves on the album. The song is distinctively grungy and seedy but Tidal Wave operates in the Blackened Doom Metal world. There’s still traces of FUZZ and STONER based music here but Sunkan’s vocals are more of a twisted ringleader compared to the other tracks on the album. The music is slightly slower and distorted with Pentagram having devilish fun with the fantastic lyrics allowing this song to be the standout track on the album.

The second half of the album sees Tidal Wave continuing to defy genre conventions and harsher tones to their music but still keeping within the WEEDIAN and FUZZ based methodology on tracks such as: Robbero Bobbero, By Order Of The King, Proper Bird and Thorsakir.

I will say Robbero Bobbero and Torsakir are perhaps my favourite moments from the second half of the album with Tidal Wave showing a wide range of versatility with the creative choices they make for these songs. These tracks feel that Tidal Wave have taken a Sledgehammer approach to the Stoner Rock/Metal sound and give it an exciting Heavy Metal makeover whilst still retaining the albums earlier hybrid approach. There’s a cracking “Post-Whatever” atmosphere on the later stage of the album that allows Tidal Wave to include some excellent Psychedelic and NWOBHM guitars.

I can see why widely respected underground label Ripple Music signed these guys to their always impressive roster. As Tidal Wave offers something familiar and vastly different within the underground Hard Rock scene. 

The Lord Knows is an unexpected delight from start to finish which is benefited by wonderful sounding production values which isn’t surprising coming from Ripple Music. However, this is Tidal Wave's time to shine and that they ultimately do on this must have release.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the promo.

The Lord Knows will be available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Ripple Music EU and Ripple Music USA.

Links:

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Dangerface Release New Song And Video For Pardon My Douche! From New Album Be Damned!

The newest Fysisk Format signing Dangerface is primal rock'n'roll in the style of The Good The Bad and The Zugly, Gallows and Bronx. Hailing from the west coast of Norway, from the hometown of Kvelertak, Stavanger, they are ready to release their second record "Be Damned!" April 28th.

"Pardon My Douche" is the first single from "Be Damned!". The song is without a doubt the “rockiest” Dangerface has ever been. You’ll get sing-a-longs and classic rock guitar riffs. In short, the song is about the ability to get out of harmful and toxic relationships, no matter what form they take.

The song has been released with a music video made by vocalist Michael Myklebust.

Pardon My Douche will be released January 27th on Fysisk Format.

Dangerface released their debut album «Get Loud!» in 2019, which received praise from the likes of Metal Hammer UK and PunkNews.org. Following the release of the album, Dangerface toured relentlessly and also played a spot on the 2000 Trees Festival in the UK the same year.

Metal Hammer called «Get Loud!» a «mightily impressive debut that promises much more to come».

Credits:

Dangerface is:

Michael Myklebust - Vocals
Jan Eirik Forland - Guitars, backing vocals
Christian Levik Monsen - Guitars, backing vocals
Mikael Christensen Moe - Bass, backing vocals
Steinar Fattnes - Drums, percussion, backing vocals

Guitar by Sindre Wathne Johnsen
Keys by Vetle Raustein
Additional backing vocals by Sigvart Waage

Produced by Dangerface
Recorded at Bridge Burner Recordings by Arvid Tjelta
Mixed by Ørjan Kristoffersen Lund @ Bridge Burner Recordings
Mastered by Brad Boatright @ AudioSiege

Cover: Michael Myklebust

Photo by Eric Furulund

Thanks To CZ Promotions for all of the info.

Links

Official | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

RUFF MAJIK UNLEASH EXPLOSIVE NEW SINGLE ‘ELEKTRIK RAM’ FROM UPCOMING NEW ALBUM

Elektrik Ram is the new single and title track from South African stoner rock reprobates Ruff Majik’s upcoming album.

Vocalist and guitarist Johni Holiday’s quick stint in a mental wellness facility brought on the lyrics and structure of Elektrik Ram. “What started as a fun ditty, emulating the sound of Siamese Dream era Smashing Pumpkins, became a triumphant battle song chronicling the power of picking up where you left off and trying again.” Explains Johni.

He delves deeper into the message behind the song, “Conquering dependency on medication and machines (as a replacement for human contact) to step out victorious. It's a song about not letting go of rage but using it instead to break through the barriers of modern living.”

The first gasps of air this song took was a three-part harmony that Johni wrote using only his acoustic guitar and a tape recorder to lay down the ideas. From there it was presented to the other members of the band, with the idea of making a relentless juggernaut of a song. "It should sound like a swarm of bees, but with an uplifting crescendo" Johni said.

Lyrically, Holiday referenced the feeling of being incapacitated on a hospital bed and combined it with an allegory for oppressive and dogmatic religious views, to drive the point home that "fate will not grant you any favours, you must take them."

DOWNLOAD / STREAM ‘ELEKTRIK RAM’

https://orcd.co/elektrikram 

https://mongrelrecords1.bandcamp.com/track/elektrik-ram 

RUFF MAJIK ONLINE

Website Facebook Twitter Instagram Spotify 

Obelyskkh - The Ultimate Grace Of God (Album Review)

Release Date: January 27th 2023. Record Label: Exile On Mainstream. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

The Ultimate Grace Of God: Tracklisting

Aquaveil

The Ultimate Grace Of God

Black Mother

Afterlife

Universal Goddess

Dog Headed God

Sat Nam (Vision)

Review

Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metal Powerhouse riffsters Obelyskkh return with their first new album in five years and one that was promised before the COVID-19 Pandemic hit. I've been waiting impatiently for this album as I loved their 2017 release The Providence. The Ultimate Grace Of God is quite an oddity when first hearing the album. As Obelyskkh fuses many different musical elements that can be quite hard to comprehend at first but they haven't lost their talent of writing a lean, mean, aggressive and catchy sounding riff. Taking cues from the school of Black Sabbath, SLEEP, Ufomammut, The Melvins and Electric Wizard but with a harsher sound that has a volatile Psychedelic Distorted groove to it.

After a few listens I started to admire the bold creative choices Obelyskkh took with this album. Heavy distorted and droned out sounds with their trademark Psych Doom/Stoner Metal style of music but matched with a bleaker Sludge Metal backdrop which you can hear in full effect on the outstanding opening song Aquaveil. The song does have some trippy and psychedelic glitch based noises throughout the song that can be quite chaotic in places. Though, the vocals and grooves allows Obelyskkh to bring a winning style of AMPLIFIER WORSHIP and in some cases LOW & SLOW based music.

Second song The Ultimate Grace Of God has a slight Neurosis vibe with Obelyskkh venturing into areas of Post-Metal with a down-tuned psychedelic attitude that the band have used before on previous albums. There's traces of Hardcore Punk and Crust Punk within this song that brings another sense of chaos to the mix. The vocals have a slightly "schizophrenic" feel with the different styles Obelyskkh employ here. The songs moves cautiously to one area of warped Doom Metal to the next with a slight WEEDIAN attitude moving into darker Sludge Metal territory. Obelyskkh even find the time to play some cool guitar riffs and extended jams along the way. The music can be superbly melodic despite all of the aggressive madness being played around you. This is on of the standout tracks on the album.

Third song Black Mother continues the warped psychedelic and distorted energy of the previous song but with a more riffier approach that's quite catchy within its deep Hardcore Punk roots. The manic based vocals work surprisingly well with the Sludge/Stoner Metal sound that has an eerie OCCULT ROCK especially with the lyrics and vocals contained here. Obelyskkh appears to be channelling Electric Wizard and The Melvins on this track but still being their own highly inventive selves. The album truly shines here when Obelyskkh plays a simpler style of Psychedelic Stoner Rock with a catchy Sludge Rock groove being played in the background.

Fourth song Afterlife sees Obelyskkh go for an all out Progressive Doom/Stoner Metal attack with this track running past the fourteen minutes mark. Shades of Ambient Doom and Distorted Sludgy grooves appear at the start with Obelyskkh taking a more cautious approach with their music. This track feels like it's came from a different band with the subtle Post-Rock/Post-Metal elements that appear. The heavy riffs do take time to fully appear and it's great seeing a different side to Obelyskkh with the band bringing more of their heavier sounds at different stages of the song. Afterlife can be quite cold, solitary and desolate in places with a thundering back-line powering everything along to a deeply satisfying conclusion.

Obelyskkh have three more songs to impress listeners with and they go even further down the Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metal rabbit hole with those sounds being the main building blocks for the band to add even more aggressive Psychedelic Sounds on tracks such as Universal Goddess, Dog Headed God and another epic track Sat Nam (Vision) that runs near the seventeen minute mark. 

The final three tracks are perhaps the most experimental with Obelyskkh being more comfortable with the creative choices they've made for the album. This also helps that Obelyskkh have a few tricks up their sleeves to create heart-pounding slabs of modern day grooves with a deep monolithic edge to them.

Sat Nam (Vision) is perhaps one of the heaviest tracks the band have written yet.

The Ultimate Grace Of God is an unflinching and aggressive style of Psychedelic Metal that takes no prisoners with its bleak cinematic vision. This is the finest album that Obelyskkh have released to date and could end up becoming a firm favourite of the Underground Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metal Scene.

This is an unmissable and must-have album.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Earsplit PR for the promo.

The Ultimate Grace Of God will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Exile On Mainstream from January 27th 2023.

Links:

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram | Twitter

Dread Witch - Tower of The Severed Serpent (Album Review)

Release Date: January 27th 2023. Record Label: Bottomless Pit / Gateway Music. Formats: DD

Tower Of The Severed Serpent: Tracklisting

The Tower

Serpent God

Leech

Wormtongue

Into The Crypt

Severed

Members

Mikael Rise - Vocals

Dennis Larsen - Drums

Andreas Cadaver - Guitars, Bass and Keys

Review

Tower Of The Severed Serpent is the new album from Danish Doom/Sludge Metallers Dread Witch and like their name suggests, the band bring a sense of bleak heaviness to this album but also being quite inventive wit their progressive and trippy psychedelic sounds they bring to the album. The PR Sheet that accompanied this release stated this album would appeal to fans of CONAN, Triptykon and Devin Townsend. That is perhaps the best way to describe Dread Witch down to a fine art.

As this album matches the bleak monolithic Doom/Sludge grooves that CONAN are known for whilst bringing a warped Progressive creative spirit into the album that have a Devin Townsend edge to them. Tower Of The Severed Spirit is quite riff-centric which you can hear on the stunning opening track The Tower which fuses down-tuned Sludgy guitars and gloomy Doom sounds for a slight WEEDIAN and FUZZY based song. The vocals from Mikael are aggressive, harsh and bleak but they're very easy to understand. So you can hear all the bleak thoughts the band have written for this track. The song is quite intense with Dread Witch playing a wicked style of Psych Doom with flashes of a Post-Sludge environment that grows bitterly cold towards the end of the song. 

Second song Serpent God continues with the slightly experimental Sludge/Doom Metal sound with a menacing backline showing brief glimpses of a more extreme style of music waiting to appear. The music is down-tuned yet again but with a fresher sound that Dread Witch impresses even further when blending Psychedelic soundscapes that have a warped cinematic feel. There's a cool sideline of Thrash Metal appearing within this track and when the band start using distorted soundclips then Dread Witch brings a more OCCULT based presence to this track. This is a creepy and unsettling track which allows Dread Witch to show a more sinister and sadistic side to the band. This is one of the most challenging and perhaps most interesting tracks to listen to from a creative point of view.

Third song Leech has an entirely different feel at the start with Dread Witch employing a Post-Doom or Post-Rock environment before moving back to their primal Doom/Sludge Metal sound. The song still remains vastly different to the opening two tracks with Mikael's vocals having a bleak sense of despair to them. The music is more chaotic and offers a more modern based Psych Doom Metal vibe with an Ambient style of music allowing the band to become a band that thrives upon taking bold creative risks. This is where perhaps the Devin Townsend influence strongly comes into play as the song is a wicked collection of different sounds, themes and harsh environments. 

The second half of the album carries on the twisted experimental vibe of the first half with Dread Witch excelling even further with highly volatile down-tuned Sludge grooves with a despairing and seedy FUZZY presence on tracks such as Wormtongue and Into The Crypt. The album perhaps becomes more Death Metal based with the vocals and riffs starting to drift further into the more extreme side of metal but still offering the Sludge/Doom Metal purists plenty of great moments to lose themselves in.

The major surprise of the album has to be on the final track Severed which is a superbly played and wholly intimate Instrumental song where Dread Witch play moments of Ambient Metal, Psych Rock, Sludge Metal and Doom Metal with a less chaotic presence. The song is worthy of closing the album with Dread Witch playing some of the album's most interesting sounds on this track alone.

Tower Of The Severed Serpent oozes creative style from start to finish with Dread Witch playing a multitude of different sounds within the Doom/Sludge Metal realm. 

Dread Witch are an exciting band from the Doom/Sludge Metal underground scene and you can expect to hear top-level experimental sounds on this album. The album also benefits from excellent production values that allows Dread Witch to have more depth to their overall sound which also helps this album to be a refreshing change of pace from other Doom/Sludge Metal albums currently being released.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Dread Witch for the promo.

Tower Of The Severed Serpent will be available to buy DD via Bottomless Pit and Gateway Music from January 27th 2023.

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