Hailing from Malmö, Sweden and formed in 2001 : SUMA has been spreading the plague of their sonic weight, noise-ridden hallucinatory doom metal on the world for the past decade. Through these years they’ve lured hordes of humans into the lair with their devastatingly heavy, one way trip into the vortex live performances and crushing delivery on their recorded matters.
The past year has seen some changes to the entity that is SUMA. After more than a year’s hiatus and decimated to a four-piece with the departure of DR.J’s vocals in the winter of 2011/12 there was no hesitation in figuring out how to move forward. Vocals kept within the reborn entity and an additional depth to the maelstorm added by the introduction of the taurus. Regenerated to enable unexplored structures of their sphere… there is a vast darkness on the horizon.
They are currently working on material for their fourth album – THE ORDER OF THINGS – to be recorded in 2014. This brings on the third occation with legendary engine-ear BILLY ANDERSON (Melvins, Neurosis, Sleep, Eyehategod) at the helm of the recording. This is the imminent evolution from the past’s behemoths of albums, LET THE CHURCHES BURN and ASHES.
“Imagine The Melvins’ ‘Lysol’ being played at you full-blast through a wind-tunnel full of Dark Matter; THAT heavy. Seriously, I have no idea how many people there are in this band, or if indeed you can even CALL them ‘people’, but opening track ‘Headwound’ crushes you flat with the sound of what must be four or five THINGS manning EACH instrument. The drums, the guitars, the throbbing, pulsing bass, the howling vocals, ALL sound totally inhuman and mind-bendingly HUGE. THIS is what Lovecraft was describing when he said “a mountain walked or stumbled”.
ASG emerge from the sandy shores of North Carolina to deliver their fourth full length and Relapse debut ‘Blood Drive’. Sun soaked groove heavy riffs that reference equal parts Torche and Queens of the Stone Age
ASG have toured relentlessly with the likes of Corrosion of Conformity, Weedeater and Black Tusk.
What sets ASG apart from their swampy peers is singer/guitarist Jason Shi’s voice: this is a set of songs that are truly SUNG by a guy who can actually SING. ‘Blood Drive’ is a kick ass blast of sun that elevates ASG to the level of some of their most well-regarded Relapse label-mates like Baroness and Mastodon
This will be the first European outing for ASG since the release of last year’s album, Blood Drive. The 12 track album was produced by Matt Hyde (Slayer, Fu Manchu) and released to broad critical acclaim. The striking artwork for the album was created by Malleus, an Italian trio who have previously been responsible for pieces for High on Fire, Swans and Ufomammut. Blood Drive made dozens of end of year lists, including at Revolver and Spin magazines.
“Somewhere between sheer, apocalyptic heaviness and precise riffing, lays otherworldly Anciients—a Vancouver-based rock juggernaut forging crushing heavy metal evocative of veterans High on Fire and contemporary sonic craftsmen, Opeth. Anciients have combined fuck-off-huge chords with mind-altering riffage that takes you on an unfamiliar trip.”
Live juggernauts, Anciients, will present their highly acclaimed full-length debut Heart of Oak (released last year via Season of Mist) for the first time in Europe. Anciients have been lauded by German Metal Hammer to have “the talent to be the next big thing”.
Conan are as heavy as interplanetary thunder amplified through the roaring black hole anus of Azathoth. A three piece, in the grand tradition of many amazing fabulous three pieces that hold a tight line and an iron-grip command over the uber-synchronised chord changes and tempo-shifts of the holy trio of bass, drums and guitar. Two men have the task of vocalising wretched thoughts over the turgid weight of Conan. They bear it well, for the task is immense.
Way back, in 2006, Conan formed as a two piece. The years dragged by, fellow warriors came and went, and now they are three – Jon Davis on guitar and vocals, Phil Coumbe on bass and vocals and Paul O’Neil on drums. Collectively their plans are clear: they seek nothing less than the crushing of a million skulls.
They have committed their filthy, ocean-sized sound to wax (and the slightly less cvlt compact disc) 6 times thus far.
First came the hulking mass of debut album Horseback Battle Hammer (Throne, Aurora Borealis), followed by a split with like-minded sludge-lords, Slomatics (Head of Crom, Burning World). After releasing their second full length “Monnos” , a “Live At Roadburn” album as well as a split with US Psychedelic Doom Titans Bongripper was unleashed on the public.
2014 will see the release of “Blood Eagle”.
Recorded at SkyHammer Studio, by Chris Fielding (Electric Wizard, Primordial) and mastered by James Plotkin, it´s one of Doom Metal´s most anticipated Albums this year.
Hear the roar of battle. Smell the stench of split blood. A thousand heads piled high like a grim mound of suffering- a blasphemy to nature. Hail Conan!
Like their forefathers in Sleep, Electric Wizard, Bongzilla, and Weedeater, Poland’s Belzebong summon fuzzy down-tuned instrumental stoner metal with a throbbing groove and a guitar tone that is the audial equivalent of THC.
The production work on “Sonic Scapes & Weedy Grooves” is not only spectacular. It’s fucking HUGE. Toss in a bit of feedback, a peppering of psychedelic riffery, and a couple of cult movie samples to break up the lack of vocals, and you have one of the best new weed-addled bands out there.
Hailing from Hamburg, The Moth is a young three-piece who started in late 2012. They didn’t take long to record their first album and have already garnered plenty of praise for their approach to psychedelic sludge metal.
“It is hard to believe there are only three people in this band as it feels like double that amount. Riffs come flying at you at every corner and the vocals add layers of tension and excitement unlike anything you have heard this year.” The Sludgelord
Old Man Gloom is a supergroup (containing members of Converge, ISIS, Cave In, Zozobra, Doomriders, Mamiffer, etc.), but instead of making shitty records like other “supergroups”, Old Man Gloom actually makes great ones.
“NO” is an undeniably great title for an album, and also serves as an ironclad manifesto in opposition to the moral and aesthetic decay of our global society.
“NO” is Old Man Gloom’s fifth album, their first in eight years. They weren’t on hiatus, just busy writing the greatest album in music history. That makes them the proud progenitors of the five greatest albums of all time, “NO” being number one. “NO” is like “one”, only spelled backwards and without the “E”.
Old Man Gloom are playing their first ever European shows in 2014, just in time for the collapse of the global economy.
The acronym for Old Man Gloom is “OMG”. “OMG” has become a household phrase since its introduction in to the popular lexicon in 1999, directly coinciding with the formation of Old Man Gloom the year prior. The group has never been properly credited for this massively important contribution to global culture.
“NO” was made using acoustic and electric instruments including but not limited to: sheet metal, toilets, human voices, guitars, drums, tambourines, shoes, hands, various other percussive tools, analog and digital electronic devices, and brains.
They are back with a vengeance: finland’s cult band # 1, CIRCLE, is blasting the NEW WAVE OF FINNISH HEAVY METAL (NWOFHM) on the international club and festival stages again, including a show at ROSKILDE FESTIVAL (on a review of that very show leading swedish newspaper DAGENS NYHETER proclaimed them „the best band in the world – all categories“) and a residency at ROADBURN FESTIVAL.
After a long and happy search for musical meaning spanning over 15 years, Circle has managed to make grownup metal in the most inclusive and positive sense of the word by taking the stodgy riffage of 1980s and shooting through a prism of various psychedelic and experimental influences.
Trepaneringsritualen explores themes of religion, magick and the occult realms of consciousness, taking its musical cues from the old school of ritual ambient & death industrial. Rhythmic and seething at times, and oozing forward with a creeping sense of desolation, Trepaneringsritualen conjures forth bleak but mesmerizing visions of the end-times.
Denver, Colorado’s Primitive Man was formed in February of 2012 by Ethan Lee McCarthy, Jonathan Campos, and Bennet Kennedy (current and former members of Withered, Clinging To The Trees of A Forest Fire, Death of Self and Reproacher).
Primitive Man unleashed a filthy, malignant maelstrom of blackened doom on their debut album ‘Scorn. Thrillingly misanthropic in their approach, Primitive Man drench their post-apocalyptic vision of the world in waves of feedback, pummeling guitars and hopelessly frightening vocals. If a bright end of summer record is what you’re in need of, run as fast as you can from Primitive Man’s ‘Scorn’—this is grade-a hateful, soul-annihilating music of the darkest order. Dubbed a ” totally malignant sounding record and one that will consume you whole if you’re not careful,” by Cvlt Nation, commended for merging “the oppressive weight of doom with the misanthropic bile of black metal” by Blabbermouth and called, “the best worst thing that has ever happened to you,” in an 8/10 review from Metal Hammer, ‘Scorn’ finds Primitive Man celebrating a slow-roasted apocalypse through seven suffocating hymns of hatred, disease and sonic deviance.
WAKE are a grindcore band from Calgary, Canada. Formed in the fall of 2009 they released Surrounded By Human Filth 7″ in the spring of 2010. In support of the record the group completed 2 west coast US tours in 2010 as well as playing extensively around Western and Central Canada.
2011 saw the band release their first full-length “Leeches” on Germany’s 7Degrees Records, tour the mid-west and eastern US and Canada, as well as record at NYC’s Menegroth Studios with Colin Marston (Krallice, Dysrythmia, etc.) behind the knobs. Those tracks became a split 7″ with Greece’s Dephosphorus in April 2012, out again on 7Degrees Records.
With an extensive US tour completed in the summer of 2012 as well a foray into Europe in the fall, which included Bloodshed Fest, WAKE have released another split 7″ in the spring of 2013, this time with Saskatoon’s thrashy grinders Rehashed, out on Boston’s Give Praise Records.
Their 2nd full-length LP “FALSE” is out in July 2013, in a collaboration between 7Degrees Records and Handshake Inc, just in time for WAKE’s 2nd European tour.
Originally conceived as a casual side-project in 2000, Portland, Oregon’s Grails have patiently developed into a rather radical study in tension and meditation, inhabiting a netherworld where virtually all earthly and otherwordly sounds are equally explored to reflect the disparate influences of its four members. After releasing their first two albums on the Neurosis imprint Neurot Recordings, Grails followed up with ‘Black Tar Prophecies Vol’s 1,2 &, 3’ on Important Records before ultimately finding their home at Temporary Residence Ltd.
Their darkest, heaviest record yet, taking equal pride in smoky psychedelics and mountain-ascending riffs. Grails’ avant-metal leanings are evident as always, but Doomsdayer’s Holiday finds their already-broad palette continually expanding with 70’s European film noir and cosmic free jazz explorations.
When Grails released Doomsdayer’s Holiday in 2008, it marked the end of a highly prolific and inspired three-year period. Combined with the official introduction of multi-instrumentalsit Emil Amos to the band, Grails finally had the rare chance to decompress and reinvent themselves. The result is Deep Politics, conceived during the lengthiest gestation period between Grails albums, and it reflects a deeper, more educated, level of concentration. In their ongoing exploration of occult/fringe culture and the rich history of film music, they have cultivated a unique environment that inspires both an eternal sense of longing and an indelible sense of dread.
The most immediately noticeable advances are the lush string arrangements and the increasing use of the same kind of fetishistic cut-and-paste production techniques that made producers like RZA and MF Doom hip-hop legends. It’s a seemingly unlikely twist to the Grails aesthetic, but not unusual given they’ve explored just about every genre imaginable.
Following the release of their most acclaimed album of their decade-long career, Deep Politics (2011), Grails revisited Black Tar Prophecies, their ever-expanding, enigmatic tapestry of eclectic experiments released in scarce limited editions that often disappear before most fans discover their existence. Black Tar Prophecies Vol’s 4, 5 & 6 collects the last three volumes in the BlackTar series, originally released as a limited-edition 12″, and a split LP with Finish psych-rockphenoms, Pharaoh Overlord.
Lilacs & Champagne, the project of Grails’ Emil Amos and Alex Hall, is built on warped samples and scorched guitar solos, creating a playful, psychedelic take on damaged funk and pop. The duo’s 2012 self-titled debut suggested a template for a new kind of psychotic mood music, and the follow up, Danish & Blue, manages to be both darker and more ambitious. “Lilacs & Champagne was created to be a direct tribute to the musical outsiders of the past” says Hall.
Made up of sounds sourced from Scandinavian porn and hyper-obscure b-movies from the late ’60s, Danish & Blue pulls from records other DJs wouldn’t touch by strategy. “We want to twist the knife as far as it can go into sample-based methodology, by taking pieces of loner music history and empowering them to shed light on both the pathetic side of human life and its improbable beauty.” says Amos.
Mid-album cut “Hamburgers & Tangerines” is built on moody keys and a subterranean groove that recalls both sleazy cop movies and cathartic late night revelations. Danish & Blue is an album that is disinterested in boundaries, unafraid to pull from every genre imaginable in service of a specific mood: from a dark lounge slither, to frustrated down-tempo, to wailing proggy guitar rock. It feels at once like a deeply personal journey through cultural ephemera and neon-lit samples that are collaged together so seamlessly that they’re able to walk the border between tasteful and tacky with abandon.
It’s hard to pull off such a cohesive mood piece from found sources, but Amos and Hall are so clearly in love with the sampled material that it never feels anything but natural. Title track “Danish & Blue” is all digital chaos and hyper-compressed drums, with the duo creating machine funk from vintage synth samples and expertly placed streaks of guitar. It’s knowing but visceral, tongue-in-cheek but dead serious about mining unexpected and disparate places for golden moments. On the too-brief “Sour/Sweet,” the duo crafts low-key beauty from stuttered drums and a distant, looped vocal sample that slowly teases out over warm vinyl crackle and piano. You feel like it should last forever.
Kylesa return as challenging and daring as ever on their sixth full length, “Ultraviolet”! Moving well beyond their trademark riffs, “Ultraviolet” has core members Laura Pleasants and Phillip Cope expanding and evolving. The dualism of Pleasants’ versatile singing and Cope’s shouted vocals melds perfectly with the constant change in sound. Shifting effortlessly from heavy hard rock riffs to punk-infused beats to even barren cold wave concoctions, “Ultraviolet” sees KYLESA progressing in fascinating ways.
Yet the band from Savannah, Georgia stays true to their roots. These were planted by guitarist and singer Phillip Cope, who founded KYLESA with two members of his former band Damad during the year 2001. Deriving their name from the Buddhist concept of “kilesa mara” meaning delusionary states of the mind, the band cited NEUROSIS, KYUSS, early PINK FLOYD and BLACK SABBATH as influences, while critics named BARONESS and MASTODON as reference points.
The addition of guitarist and vocalist Laura Pleasants contributed to the development of KYLESA’s unique style in a major way. This was enhanced by the use of two drummers since third album “Time Will Fuse Its Worth” (2006), while “To Walk a Middle Course” (2005) was still recorded in the usual way. “Static Tensions” (2009) witnessed KYLESA fine tuning their formula, which gained them high acclaim from critics and fans alike.
The hypnotic visions evoked by “Spiral Shadow” (2010) catapulted KYLESA into the next exciting phase of their continuous evolution. This album saw the band constantly on the road for the most parts of the following years. Yet KYLESA still found time for “a labor of love”, as Phil Cope called their collection of rare tracks “From the Vaults Vol. I” (2012). Now it’s high time to celebrate their latest masterpiece “Ultraviolet” and get lost in its sonic wonders!
Formed by T-Roy in 1993, Sourvein have released four full length albums as well as a trilogy of EPs and various split recordings with the likes of Buzzov*en, Bongzilla, Rabies Caste, Negative Reaction, Grief, Subsanity and Church Of Misery. The band also contributed to the Eyehategod tribute record, For The Sick with a cover of “Broken Down But Not Locked Up.”
Said popular online metal portal Metal Review in an early review of the latest record: “They are THE hot doom ticket and deliver on every level… another absolute doom masterpiece from Cape Fear’s best.”
Music Emissions agreed crowning Sourvein “…one of the best American doom bands.” while Terrorizer Magazine called them “one of the heavest bands to ever walk the earth”.
Graves at Sea was formed in 2002 by friends Nick Phit and Nathan Misterek, with then members Roger Williams & Steve Klatz (RIP). After self-releasing the demo titled Documents of Grief, they toured extensively and were quickly noticed by Greg Anderson of Southern Lord/Sunn, who released their 7″ Cirrohosis/Atavist Arise in 2004. Later in 2005 the band released a split with friends Asunder on Life is Abuse (cd) and 20 Buck Spin (vinyl).
In 2007 Graves at Sea went through a line up change when Nathan moved to Oakland and Nick moved to Portland, OR. After playing two final shows with Chiyo Nukaga (Noothgrush) on drums and Miguel Veliz (ex-Sourvein, The Roller) on bass, the band broke up in 2008.
In 2012, however, they decided to reunite with Chiyo on drums and Greg Wilkinson (Brainoil) on bass, but due to touring restraints, Chiyo and Greg decided to step down.
The current line up is Nick Phit (guitar), Nathan Misterek (vocals), Bryan Sours (drums, ex-Subarachnoid Space) and Jeff Mcgarity (bass, ex-Preta) making Graves at Sea once again a touring and recording band. In 2013 they recorded a split with Loss and a split with Sourvein, all with new material and have numerous tours planned far in to 2014.
In what has seemed like an eternity to finally manifest, after years of struggle, suffering, and torment, “Despond” is the culmination from a band driven by depression, anxiety, illness, despair, fear, and pain. “Despond” is an album that will serve as the soundtrack to a funeral march towards ruin, decay, and utter oblivion.
One of the most negative, somber, yet moving and emotionally draining funeral/death doom metal albums of any era, “Despond” is a testament, a musical epoch that will force you to confront what will inevitably await upon the doomed horizon.
Featuring four unique interludes created by each member of Loss that seam the entire discourse of “Despond” …
Worship has a strong cult following and is considered one of the most intense and seasoned act in the international funeral doom underground.
“Worship has originally been a French/German funeral doom band, when founded in 1998. Nowadays our center is in Germany. Lead by Daniel “The Doommonger” Pharos, we are working on our 3rd album & 10th release (Label: Weird Truth Japan). Since 2005, we play the occasional awesome live gig around the world….”
Instead of leaning out your window half drunk, going to bed early or lighting candles and turning off phones, this year there will be an opportunity to finish the year with a bang…
Hailing from the picturesque Northern Basque Country of France, Monarch! unleash a slow motion avalanche of impossibly glacial, blackened sludge and hypnotic feedback, each song a series of epic tarpit riffage stretched out eternally over lumbering drums and the cavernous rumble of speaker cabinets. Over these yawning expanses of black void appears the demonic, throat-shredding shrieks and ghostly singing of Emilie….
Monarch! ‘s mega-crawling ambient doom/drone/sludge follows in the grand tradition of fellow tarpit adventurers Khanate, Corrupted, Melvins, and Black Sabbath, and accompany their music with an iconoclastic style.
Hinting on the darkest chapters of MK Ultra Mind Programming, Monarch!´s name giving is not coincidental.
Omens is Monarch! ‘s sixth full-length release of atmospheric dirge / drone since their 2005 inception, not to mention the myriad of other releases within thatamount of time including three EPs, three split releases (Elysium, Moss and Grey Daturas) and more, under the banners of Crucial Blast, Throne Records, 20 Buck Spin,Heathen Skulls and other indie labels!
The latest recordings also features newest member Rob Schaeffer (Dark Castle, YOB live, etc.) along with guitarist Shiran Kaüdine (Year of No Light)…
We couldn´t be more pleased that the first band to play Arena in 2014 EVER will be Karaoke Bash straight outta Vienna.
Karaoke Bash know how to party have a long tradition in the handing over of microphones.
They play, You sing…
Among their repertoire you will find classics like: 7 Seconds – Young Till I Die,
AC/DC – Highway To Hell, Cro-Mags – World Peace, Judas Priest – Breaking The Law, Only Living Witness – Prone Mortal Form, Turbonegro – I Got Erection and many more….
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