Category Archives: Uncategorized

In our human minds, according to the Law of Contagious Magic as described in The Golden Bough by anthropologist James Frazer, contact between two objects creates an inseparable thread between them. A gift from a dead friend forever holds this magic like a scar reflecting a wound. Similarly, a piece of food that touches the floor is suddenly abject and rotten. Pairing this notion with the Law of Similarity Magic, as described by Frazer, where an object resembling another can share its power, a musical notion can be understood to serve as an unbodied conduit of such magics; an emotional contact between the music and audience wherein such sorcery threads an inseparable seam that, for a time, resemble each other.

Aptly named in reference to the aforementioned book, Stygian Bough, the collaboration between Bell Witch (Dylan Desmond, Jesse Shreibman) and Aerial Ruin (Erik Moggridge) enlivens its unbodied presence resembling both projects as a conduit in its own separate entity.

growing from Moggridge’s recurring contributions to the Bell Witch catalog. Their initial collusion occurring on the debut Bell Witch album Longing (2012) following which, Moggridge would return to guest on both Four Phantoms (2015) and Mirror Reaper (2017). Stygian Bough Volume I was released in 2020, Volume II was released in 2025.
bellwitch.bandcamp.com/album/stygian-bough-volume-i

Following their latest, much-acclaimed album, Sphere (2019), instrumental psych rock frontrunners Monkey3 , the Lausanne-based four-piece has announced a brand new, cosmic studio offering, entitled Welcome To The Machine via Napalm Records.

Once again, Monkey3 envelops listeners in their unique, cosmic auditory haze. Welcome To The Machine not only marks their seventh and most epic, dark and captivating record to date, but will also clearly prove why they are one of the most exciting instrumental rock bands in the modern stoner and psychedelic rock scene.

Welcome To The Machine’s musical themes are inspired by movies such as 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Matrix, Sunshine, Solaris and 1984, while unveiling an intense mankind vs. machines story that instantly launches the listener into deep space. Right from its first tones, the album immediately emerges as a perfect soundtrack to a journey into the unknown. Tracks such as “Rackman” perfectly showcase how Monkey3, who formed in 2001, are one of only a few instrumental bands that know how to tell an enthralling story.

Welcome To The Machine explores as much as it poses questions. It is dark and menacing; evoking melancholic destruction while somehow bursting with hope at the same time, moving between haunting passages and progressive breaks, mesmerizing grooves and colossal riffs.
monkey3official.com


“Patrick Walker’s music stands alone and stands firm at this point, a kind of epic, transportive dirge-rock, methodical, entirely resistant to anything less than a complete kind of engagement. I feel a deep and almost dangerous sense of surrender when I really let this music in, so strong is its emotional pull, so raw and true is the feeling at its center, so ancient-seeming and wisdom-filled is Walker’s gift for writing and singing melody.”
— Hank Shteamer (Rolling Stone)

2024 saw the release of the critically acclaimed new album “Little Weight”.

40wattsun.co.uk

Arena Vienna / big room / adv 31€ / 19.00h

Tickets:
tickets.arena.wien/at/Events/69398

Earth are an American rock band founded in Olympia, Washington and led by the guitarist Dylan Carlson. Initially active between 1989 and 1997, their early work is characterized by heavy guitar distortion, drones, and lengthy, minimalist song structures; their 1993 debut album is recognized as a pioneering work of the drone metal genre.

Carlson often jokes he had “one good idea” and ran with it. In reality, Carlson’s had loads of great ideas. This is apparent in Earth’s continuing discography. While their style remains anchored in lingering repetition, every Earth record is different to the last.

When Earth returned in the 2000s, with Adrienne Davies on drums, Carlson resisted the temptation to rehash the sound on which Sunn O))) and others had since capitalized. In 2019 Earth pared back down to the core duo of Carlson and Davies, with the guitarist limiting his layers of effects in order to hone a more “sensual” style.

“With guitars ramped up to the nth degree, but tuned to gut-wrenchingly low frequencies, Earth carved out a veritable canyon of pure molten drone, one which would have a profound influence on modern metal music.”  The Quietus

On their upcoming activities, Earth are excited to work with Fire Records. “We were talking to a bunch of labels and Fire were the first one who didn’t immediately ask us for our streaming numbers,” enthuses Carlson. “They recognise that we’re one of those niche bands that still sell physical products instead of being in some weird internet bubble.” He identifies various acts on the roster as likeminded sonic mavericks: Spacemen 3, Royal Trux, Bardo Pond, The Bevis Frond… “We’ve become one of those bands that has the whole legacy act thing,” he notes. “But I’m also always trying to do new stuff so it seems like a cool spot to be able to do that.”


Looking back at their journey, Earth have always transcended themselves. And they’re ready to do it again.


earthsl.bandcamp.com

The duo of Nataša Grujović and Steve Moore first performed together in 2022, as part of a tribute to the late Luxembourgish artist and composer Steve Kaspar. At first taking root in the performance of unfinished Kaspar compositions, the duo began composing pieces which suited the unusually sonorous combination of trombone and accordion — instruments which take advantage of both the power and limitation imposed by the movement of air, the motion of breath and the necessity of physical space to the function of sound.

Arena Vienna / small room / doors 19.00 / adv 27,75 €

Tickets:
tickets.arena.wien/at/Events/69420

High on Fire, the Grammy Award-winning juggernaut from Oakland, has carved a relentless path through the metal landscape since their inception in 1998. Fusing primal aggression with a monolithic sonic presence, the band has become one of the most revered and unyielding forces in heavy music. As the New York Times’ Ben Ratliff once put it, their sound is “the sludgy resin from 30 years of super-hard-rock history”—a thunderous blend of riff-driven fury and raw, unfiltered power.
Unapologetically loud and defiantly non-mainstream, High on Fire was never meant for the faint of heart—or the FM dial.

Frontman Matt Pike has always made it clear: this is music for those drawn to the extreme, the feral, the mythic. And over the years, the band’s refusal to compromise has only fueled their ascent. In 2019, they earned a Grammy for Best Metal Performance with the blistering title track from their 2018 album “Electric Messiah”, placing them in the pantheon alongside titans like Black Sabbath and Metallica. Bassist Jeff Matz called it an unexpected milestone—one that broadened their reach without diluting their vision.

As the band celebrates its 25th anniversary, they return more potent than ever with “Cometh the Storm”—their first new album since “Electric Messiah”, and their ninth studio effort to date, out April 19, 2024 via MNRK Heavy. Recorded at GodCity Studio in Salem, Massachusetts with renowned producer Kurt Ballou, the 11-song release marks a powerful new era for High on Fire.

Adorned with runic artwork from longtime collaborator Arik Moonhawk Roper, “Cometh the Storm” reflects both the band’s enduring creative spirit and the shadowed intensity of the world around them. It’s a triumphant testament to High on Fire’s legacy and their unrelenting drive to push the boundaries of heavy music.

highonfireofficial.com

Formed by the initial duo of Luca Indrio on bass and vocals (Acephalix, Vastum, ex-Lawless), and by Chad Galey on drums (Ex-Vastum, ex-Bruxers, Atrament, Caffa, Rude, Mortuous), and subsequently rounded out by Sonny Reinhardt on guitar (Saviours, ex-Watch Them Die), Necrot are one of the most punishing, savage and treacherous death metal acts to ever tread californian soil. Formed in 2011 initially as a side-project of Acephalix, Necrot have since then built a devoted following in their native Bay Area and beyond, and have become known as a merciless and bloodthirsty death metal killing machine thanks to their bulldozing live sets and their savage and butchering recordings.

necrot.bandcamp.com

Arena Vienna / big room / adv 30€ / doors 19.00h

Tickets:
tickets.arena.wien/at/Events/69279

Chris Goss is one of the elusive geniuses of American music. As the singer, guitarist and driving force behind Masters Of Reality, he’s spent more than 40 years charting his own musical journey, travelling from mystical blues to desert rock to psychedelia-edged beauty via all points in between.

Where others follow the pack, this desert-dwelling California native has forged a career like no other. A desire to follow his own artistic muse and not bow to external pressures has resulted in a string of albums that sound like no one else but Masters Of Reality, subtly yet indelibly leaving a mark on the generations of musicians who heard them.

For most people, that would be enough. But Goss has also positioned himself as one of the most important and influential producers of the last 30 years. The list of bands and artists he has worked with in that capacity is long and illustrious: Queens Of The Stone Age, Kyuss, Mark Lanegan, Foo Fighters, The Cult, UNKLE, Stone Temple Pilots singer Scott Weiland, former Hole bassist Melissa Auf Der Maur, even Hollywood star Russell Crowe. He’s the connective tissue which links so much modern music.

The arrival of The Archer  —produced by Goss and featuring guitarist Alain Johannes, drummer John Leamy, and bassist Paul Powell—heralds the welcome return of Masters Of Reality.  

Future-facing, Goss is going to take 2025 with both hands. “The challenge of creating the dynamic range of the new music is a bit daunting at the moment because we haven’t done these songs live yet. But I believe once we’re in rehearsals with a bit of sweat, we’ll have a blast. A weird, sometimes melancholic blast but that’s what the blues is; Laughing at both the devil and our own human folly at the same time.”

mastersofreality.com

Janosch Moldau is a longevity, unique and emerging post-pop-act from Neu Ulm, Germany.

www.janoschmoldau.com

Arena Vienna / small room / doors 19.00h / 31€

Tickets:
tickets.arena.wien/at/Events/69263

Conan’s doom is singular. Carved of granite. Yes, of course there’ve been changes since guitarist/vocalist Jon Davis founded the group in 2006, but the intention at the time toward superlative heavy – tonal extremity wrought with impressionist lyrics stripping ideas to the core where sometimes the whole line is just one word; they’ve always called it “Caveman Battle Doom” – remains at the root of everything they’ve done since.

And across five studio records in the decade from 2012-2022, Conan have set the standard by which much of “heavy” anything is judged. And in comparison, most is found wanting.

But for every time you’ve heard about Conan’s music being like galloping steeds or frost-covered sharp-peaked mountains, etc., imagery of largesse and violence, the truth is Conan are an exercise in frequency. It’s the low resonance that shakes your chest, the depth of the bass – now handled by David Ryley (ex-Fudge Tunnel) – the push of air from Johnny King’s kick drum, or the way the dark-fuzz distortion of Davis’ guitar is offset by shouting vocals cutting through that sometimes punishing onslaught, rarely to offer comfort so much as add viciousness to the crash, plod and pillage.

In 2024, Conan sign to Heavy Psych Sounds as a recognized name and one of the foremost acts of their generation, wildly influential in their home country of the UK and well beyond; headliners in practice and theory alike. Their fifth LP, 2022’s ‘Evidence of Immortality,’ brought a dark ambience to coincide with its outright attack. With experiments in darkwave and synth adding breadth to the stated root purpose of aural force, it’s never been harder to guess where the next few years might take their sound, but whatever’s coming, Conan will make it kill. The better part of two decades later, their reliability remains unshakable. Which you want when your band is so heavy that the floor and your ribcage both start to vibrate.

www.hailconan.com

THRA, Death Sludge from Phoenix, Arizona.

thra.bandcamp.com

Arena Vienna / small room / 19.00h / adv 25 € / doors tba

Tickets:
tickets.arena.wien/at/Events/69241

Hailing from various backgrounds both musically and geographically, Swedish psych wonder MaidaVale have had the ability to capture audiences with their spirited energy ever since starting out on the Stockholm underground scenes a decade ago. The band combine neo-psychedelia and krautrock with influences ranging from post-punk, funkadelia and the North African blues.

With acclaimed debut “Tales of the Wicked West” (2016), they quickly took on big european rock scenes and festivals. More kraut influenced sophomore album “Madness is too Pure” (2018) confirmed the band’s place in the psych rock scene with its bold and experimental take on the genre, nominating them for the Swedish music prize P3 Guld in the rock category alongside acts like Graveyard.

On their third album ‘Sun Dog’, working with producers Kalle Gustafsson Jerneholm (The Soundtrack of Our Lives) and György Barocsai, MaidaVale paint with a larger, bolder and brighter color palette, immersing themselves more than ever into their unique take on neo-psychedelia. The album has appearances from Tinariwen’s Said Ag Ayad and guest mixing from John Agnello (Kurt Vile, The Black Angels).

Among the band’s live performances, some notable highlights are Manchester Psych Fest, Burg Herzberg Festival, Rockpalast, Barcelona Psych Fest, Sweden Rock Festival, Bordeaux Psych Fest and Desetfest Berlin.

MaidaVale has toured extensively with bands like Kikagaku Moyo, Goat and Earthless in Scandinavia and Europe.

maidavaleband.com

Arena Vienna / Dreiraum / pre sale 20,50 € / doors 20.00h

Tickets:
tickets.arena.wien/at/Events/69010

Dummy is an avant-pop band based in Los Angeles. Their debut LP Mandatory Enjoyment came out in Oct 2021 on Trouble In Mind, following two cassette EPs on Pop Wig and Born Yesterday, respectively. 

The band is Emma, Nathan, Mark, Alex and Joe, and they appear courtesy of Trouble In Mind Records.
Dummy follows up their debut LP “Mandatory Enjoyment” with two songs for the Sub Pop Singles Club.

The A-Side, “Mono Retriever” is a baroque-drone-pop rager that imagines what a punk Free Design song might sound like. The lyrics criticize the corporate greenwashing and dishonesty at the root of ecological devastation. On the B-Side, “Pepsi Vacuum” the band experiments with sampling and digital editing, taking inspiration from 90’s ambient and chill-out music. As a lyrical counterpoint, “Pepsi Vacuum” is about the spirituality of nature; the powerful feeling of universality and connection, down to the molecular level. The two songs function as mirrors, referencing the other musically, and both sharing oceanic lyrical themes.

2024 saw the release of “Free Energy”.
The sophomore album is a record that celebrates music’s ability to move the body, whether that be through a teeth-rattling wall of MBV-esque noise, a sticky pop chorus, or a joyous drum machine – or, if you’re Dummy, maybe all of them in the same song.

notdummy.bandcamp.com/album/free-energy

Support:
Blasser Kyren
numavi.bandcamp.com/album/butter-stress

Arena Wien / Dreiraum / 16 € / 20.00h

Tickets:
tickets.arena.wien/at/Events/68990

Body Void (Prostethic Records) originally formed in the spring of 2014 as Devoid with the aim to combine the most extreme elements of hardcore punk and doom metal. Since changing their name in 2016 with the release of their full-length debut, Ruins, they’ve continued to evolve and progress. In 2021 they signed to Prosthetic Records and released their third LP, Bury Me Beneath This Rotting Earth, incorporating power electronics and drone into their sound. 

In 2023, they returned with their most caustic and unhinged work to date. On their fourth full-length Atrocity Machine, the trio turned further toward noise and industrial. Inspired by acts such as Wolf Eyes, Pharmakon, and Killing Joke they contorted their pulverizing style of doom to fully embody the nightmarish reality of a country seemingly built only to exploit and punish. 

bodyvoid.bandcamp.com

Eye Flys (Thrill Jockey Records) are a quintessentially Philadelphian band whose aggressive brand of noise rock is leading a wave of bands that harken back to classic era AmRep noise rock. Their rage is palpable and their wit is biting. Hailing from a city with a rich history of labor activism, long associated with the hard working, the underdog, the everyman. The trio’s grounded nature, one of whom is an active trade union member, imbues their music with a distinctive fearlessness and honesty. Their acerbic wit swiftly whittles matters down to their element, often reveling in the perverse humor of our current state of being. Eye Flys are unsparingly heavy, driven by the colossal rhythm section of bassist Kevin Bernsten and drummer Patrick Forrest. Vocalist/guitarist Jake Smith delivers sharp humor with a healthy dose of venom and bile with each bestial growl while his dirty riffs roar at you. Recorded by Bernsten at his own Developing Nations studio (Full of Hell, Integrity, Jarhead Fertilizer) and J Robbins’ The Magpie Cage, the band’s self-titled album features artwork drawn by artist and drummer John Herndon (Tortoise), known for his singular drawings and his band’s iconic TNT cover.


Eye Flys wades deeper into the muck and mire of modern living to take an unflinching look at the horrors of late-stage capitalism and offer a caustic remedy for its ravages. Expanding on their bludgeoning debut Tub of Lard, Eye Flys is lean and aggressive, fast and unforgiving. “Trepanation Summer”’s ferocious riffs bore directly into the skull, mimicking the crude pressure release of the ancient surgical process of the same name, Smith crying to “release the pressure” from within a wall of feedback. “Sleep Forever” throws down a thrashing, infernal groove, demolishing all in its path as Smith’s craggy guitar figures rise like toxic smoke from the devastation. “Draining Pus” revels in septic sludge, while “Bananarchy Zoo” manages to strip things down to an even more lean and incisive realization of the trio’s punishing sonic palette, in an exploration of Smith’s love/hate relationship with his Florida roots.

A wall of rippling noise and distortion run as connecting threads through the album, the band’s acerbic humor and raw emotion capturing the perspective and the frustration of the hardworking everyman. The band grapples with the repercussions of coping strategies with healthy skepticism and an eye on the gallows. Eye Flys offers a reassuring reminder that you haven’t gone mad and you’re not alone – that weird ‘n’ heavy music is still here as a respite from the madness of modern living and an outlet for righteous rage.

Arena Vienna / Dreiraum / adv 18 € / 20.00h

Tickets:
tickets.arena.wien/at/Events/68869

A cult band in every sense of the word, Green Lung emerged from London’s heavy rock scene with self-released debut EP Free the Witch (2018). Drawing on a host of peculiarly British musical influences, from doomy hard rock to pastoral prog and psych to the Hammer Horror theatrics of the NWOBHM, the band have swiftly risen to the forefront of the UK metal scene.

Lyrically celebrating the folklore, myths and legends of Britain, they conjure the wild and witchy spirit of their forebears for a new generation.


Signed to Nuclear Blast, Green Lung have released two critically acclaimed albums, Woodland Rites (2019) and Black Harvest (2021), toured internationally with Clutch, and performed on festival stages from Roadburn to Download.

Their third album, This Heathen Land, was released on November 3rd, 2023.

greenlung.co.uk

Spirit Adrift is a heavy metal band from Austin, Texas.
They share members with Gatecreeper and Goya.

www.spiritadrift.com

Arena Vienna / small room / adv 20 € / 20.00h

Tickets:
tickets.arena.wien/at/Events/68804

Hippie Death Cult‘s journey through shameless and triumphant artistic expression has led them to become a vibrant force in the realms of psychedelia and riff-heavy rock n’ roll. This journey has not been without its challenges, but the band has always managed to emerge stronger and more determined than ever. Throughout their formative years, the band underwent what proved to be a very significant evolution, transitioning from a 4-piece to a more cohesive and harmonious power trio. This lineup currently consists of guitarist and founder Eddie Brnabic, vocalist and bassist Laura Phillips, and drummer Harry Silvers. 

In 2019, Hippie Death Cult caught the attention of Cursed Tongue Records, who signed them for the release of their highly anticipated album “111.” The record was met with widespread acclaim, solidifying their place in the music scene. Building on this success, the band made another significant move in 2021 by signing with Heavy Psych Sounds Records. This partnership resulted in the release of their album “Circle of Days” and a split release titled “Doom Sessions Vol.5” with label mates High Reeper. Both full-length albums soared to the very top of the Doom Charts as well as many “Album Of The Year” lists, further cementing their status as a rising force in the genre. 

Beyond their studio work, Hippie Death Cult is renowned for their electrifying and passionate stage performances. Their captivating stage presence have taken them on tours across the United States, Canada, and Europe, where they have garnered a dedicated and growing fanbase. 

Now, as they prepare to unleash their new album “Helichrysum” on October 20th, Hippie Death Cult is ready to take their music to even greater heights. This album marks a significant milestone as it features Laura Phillips on vocals for the first time, adding a new dimension and sense of originality to their sound. “Helichrysum” promises to be an unapologetically deep, heavy and groovy album that showcases the band’s artistic growth and musical prowess. 

To support the release of “Helichrysum,” Hippie Death Cult has planned full-blown North American and European tours. Fans can expect an immersive and powerful live experience as the band brings their high-energy performances to stages across the globe. With their unwavering dedication to their craft and their ability to push boundaries, Hippie Death Cult is poised to leave an indelible mark on the music scene for years to come.
hippiedeathcult.bandcamp.com

Power trio playing their interpretation of a musical genre known as stoner rock.

omegasun.bandcamp.com

Arena Vienna / Dreiraum / adv 16€ / doors 20.00h

Tickets:
tickets.arena.wien/at/Events/68780