Argonauta Fest London 2026 | Line-Up & Event Details

Argonauta Records is proud to announce the first-ever Argonauta Fest London, landing on June 21st for a night fully dedicated to the power of live heavy music, bringing together a diverse lineup of doom, sludge, stoner and psych-driven bands from across the underground scene.

“We are truly excited for this incredible night in London, proudly representing three outstanding artists from the Argonauta Records roster. Each band brings its own unique vision of heaviness, atmosphere and sonic intensity, creating a lineup that fully reflects the spirit of the underground scene we believe in and support every day. Expect massive riffs, immersive soundscapes and a night built for those who live heavy music beyond boundaries”, says Argonauta Records.

Three bands, one stage, total live immersion in heavy music culture:

Borehead (South London instrumental trio) deliver live performances that feel like a total sensory immersion. Massive psych tinged doom, crushing riffs and expansive soundscapes unfold in slow, hypnotic waves, turning every show into a physical and emotional experience built on volume, tension and atmosphere.

For fans of Conan, Sleep, Earth, and Russian Circles.

https://www.facebook.com/boreheadofficial

Godzilla Was Too Drunk To Destroy Tokyo (Italy) bring chaotic and unpredictable live energy, where sludge-soaked heaviness collides with fuzzy psychedelia, and stoner grooves in constant mutation. Their shows are loud, unfiltered, and explosive, shifting between crushing weight and warped psychedelic frenzy.

For fans of Melvins, L7, and DIE SPITZ.

https://www.facebook.com/godzillawastoodrunktodestroytokyo

Master Charger (UK) unleash a raw and devastating live impact built on fuzz-drenched riffs, blues-heavy doom, and sludge-soaked intensity. Their performances are direct, loud, and gritty, driven by a punk-infused underground spirit and a deep connection to classic heavy tradition.

For fans of Saint Vitus, Motörhead, Celtic Frost, and Trouble.

https://www.facebook.com/mastercharger

For more info: https://www.facebook.com/events/1459909652441960

Tickets: https://dice.fm/partner/tickets/event/l85wab-borehead-godzilla-wtdtdt-master-charger-21st-jun-helgis-london-tickets

Venue: https://www.facebook.com/helgisbar

Argonauta Records: https://www.argonautarecords.com/

Thanks to Grand Sounds Promotion for the details.

Exclusive Album Premiere Of Instrumental Doom/Stoner Metallers BOREHEAD New Album VITA EST MORTE EST VITA

Vita est Morte est Vita is the band’s debut full-length; recorded, mixed, and mastered by Wayne Adams at Bear Bites Horse Studio, London. The four tracks of the album are a dynamic and richly textured journey through the human psyche – inviting the listener to Discover, Enter, Understand, and Become.

In addition to the cover artwork by the band’s own Stuart Hodgkinson, each track is accompanied by individual artworks by Steve Burns, Justin Fink, Eduardo Canalejo, and Lauren McIvor. Vinyl purchases of the album will come with physical postcards of all four artworks (while stocks last).

The album tracklisting:

1. Estate
2. Circadian
3. Zoonosis
4. Macadamia

You can hear the whole album now with this exclusive album premiere thanks to the great folks over at Grand Sounds Promotion and Argonauta Records.

Band Bio

Borehead are an instrumental three-piece, based in South London, UK. Formed in 2019, the band have been peddling their psych-tinged doom over the UK, having released two EPs, 0001 and 0002.

The band melds thick, rich fuzz with heavy grooves, thunderous riffs, and enthralling soundscapes.

Their live shows transport you to the very darkest reaches of your mind, then drag you back out again, baptised in volume.

Borehead is:

Mike – Guitars
Stuart – Bass
Richard – Drums

Vita Est Morte Est Vita will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Octopus Rising / Argonauta Reords from Friday 29th November 2024.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp

Borehead - Vita Est Morte Est Vita (Album Review)

Release Date: November 29th 2024. Record Label: Octopus Rising. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Vita Est Morte Est Vita - Track Listing:

1.Estate

2.Circadian

3.Zoonosis

4.Macadamia

Members

Mike – Guitars

Stuart – Bass

Richard – Drums

Review

Instrumental Doomsters Borehead debut album Vita Est Morte Est Vita sees the band explore the creative groundwork played on their previous EP’s 001 and 002 even further with a heavier Psychedelic tinged sound with flashes of Post-Rock, Stoner Metal and Sludge Metal. The record is quite abstract and superbly heavy with an Industrial and Progressive based movement which comes to life on the excellent opening track of Estate.

The music is quite down-tuned and distorted with an aggressive delivery with Borehead operating with an Experimental approach at times. The band do lean further into the Post-Metal sound on tracks such as Circadian and Zoonosis with a gloomy outlook with how the music is delivered which isn’t surprising with the album’s English title being “Life Is Death And Death Is Life”. This is the type of music that harks back to the classic days of Post-Metal where PELICAN reigned supreme with blackened sounds areas of the Doom, Sludge and Stoner Metal subgenres battling for creative supremacy.

The instrumental sounds are epic, sparse with Borehead being in complete control of their own musical destiny. Vita Est Morte Est Vita is haunting and beautifully melodic with strands of subtle Cosmic Metal allowing the record to be quite unforgiving with a dynamic Post-Rock presence. With echoes of eerie Post-Rock becoming quite regular on the later stages of each track which allows Borehead to add classic soundclips and soundbytes which manifests into a whole different level of heaviness for the listener to fully experience.

There maybe a lack of speed and urgency to Borehead’s music but it’s the actual journey that this album takes you upon that’s the real reward. You have more time to soak everything in with Borehad playing a multitude of different styles of Post-Metal with an epic sideline in Doomgaze and haunting Psychedelic Sludgy surroundings which have an air of sublime COSMIC and SONIC exploration to them.

For a debut album, Borehead feel like they’ve been around forever delivering intense and emotionally charged sounds of the highest order. Within the second half of the album you can hear more dominant and abstract moments of Drone/Ambient Metal starting to form which provides a cold and unsettling feeling with added layers of menacing glitch based noises that are chaotic and absolutely breathtaking to fully listen to.

Famed UK Record Producer Wayne Adams is involved with this album as he lends his great recording talents once again by recording, mixing and mastering the album which gives this record another layer of quality. The album is being released by fearless underground record label Argonauta Records imprint Octopus Rising and showcases why they're perhaps one of the best labels in the business of recognising new talent and promoting their great music throughout the entire underground Doom, Sludge and Stoner Metal scene.

Vita Est Morte Est Vita is a masterful debut album that will no doubt appeal to fans of PELICAN, UFOMAMMUT, BONGRIPPER and Vinnum Sabbathi. Be prepared for a bruising encounter of first rate COSMIC based Post-Metal grooves that will leave you on the edge of your seat.

WOW. End Of. 

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Grand Sounds Promotion for the promo. 

Vita Est Morte Est Vita will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Octopus Rising / Argonauta Reords from Friday 29th November 2024.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp

UK Doom Metallers BOREHEAD Joins Octopus Rising; New Single Out Now

London-based instrumental doom metal band BOREHEAD joins Octopus Rising.

“We’re stoked to be working with Argonauta Records and their new Octopus Rising imprint. Argonauta have such a deep roster of great music and great artists. We’re looking forward to joining them on the journey” - says the band

The first single, entitled 'Zoonosis,' has been released and is now available here: https://youtu.be/KiC-g9mwyQc

The band commented on 'Zoonosis': "This track is a special one for us as a band. It began its life during lockdown with that monstrous opening bass line written by Stu. Since then it’s evolved and grown, but we’ve always kept it rooted in that same aesthetic and meaning it had from the start – coming to terms with struggle and understanding what it means to struggle, especially in terms of health and mortality. The artwork by our friend and previous collaborator, Edu Canalejo, captured the vibe perfectly and has added another dimension to the track.

Zoonosis has been a staple of our live sets for a couple of years now, so it’s exciting to finally have it recorded and out there in the world."

The band will also perform at Desert Fest London in May: https://www.desertfest.co.uk/band/borehead/

Borehead are an instrumental three-piece, based in South London, UK. Formed in 2019, the band have been peddling their psych-tinged doom over the UK, having released two EPs, 0001 and 0002.
The band melds thick, rich fuzz with heavy grooves, thunderous riffs, and enthralling soundscapes.
Their live shows transport you to the very darkest reaches of your mind, then drag you back out again, baptised in volume.

Borehead is:

Mike – Guitars
Stuart – Bass
Richard – Drums

For more info:

https://www.facebook.com/boreheadofficial
https://www.argonautarecords.com/

Thanks to Grand Sounds Promotion for all of the info.

Borehead - 0002 (EP Review)

Date Released: November 17th 2022. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD

0002: Tracklisting

 

1.Phantasm (A Prequel) 11:02

2.Mariana's Lament 05:36

3.Lost in Waters Deep 09:08

Review

0002 is the new EP from UK Doom/Stoner Metal instrumentalists Borehead and it’s quite an engaging affair driven by Black Sabbath inspired AMPLIFIER WORSHIP heavy gloomy sounds. The whole flow of the record is powered by some epic Progressive and Psychedelic grooves that remain slow paced for the most part but also sees Borehead play faster sounds that feel super fresh in places.

The three tracks that make up the EP are all superbly played and produced from beginning to end with perhaps the standout tracks being Phantasm (A Prequel) and Lost In Waters Deep. You can hear shades of Russian Circles, Pelican, Vinnum Sabbathi and even Mastodon when Borehead start playing a more a more progressive sludgier style of music. 

The Ambient noises and soundclips that accompany Phantasm (A Prequel) make you take more notice of Borehead and the music they deliver with perhaps the music becoming more DOOMIER and MENACING with the band still playing first rate extended jams.

The use of different styles of Instrumental Rock/Metal contained on this release such as Post-Rock/Post-Metal allows Borehead to take huge creative risks with their music for a more well rounded and huge sounding release that you don’t initially expect.

0002 is expertly recorded and produced which allows Borehead deliver a more cinematic style of Instrumental Doom/Stoner Metal that ultimately leaves you wanting to hear more. 

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Links:

Facebook | BandCamp