Your rundown of the top sludge news stories of the day …
PSYCHO CALIFORNIA FESTIVAL - Festivals are all the rage in Europe, they make-up an important part of the European musical identity, but festival culture has lagged behind stateside. A number of stoner, doom and sludge related festivals have cropped up in the Eastern and Midwestern United States in recent years, but the West Coast has been sorely lacking for major festivals, until now. The PSYCHO CALIFORNIA FESTIVAL is set to take place on May 15-17, 2015 at The Observatory in Santa Ana.
So who’s going to be there? The festival lineup reads like a who’s who in doom: Kylesa, OM, Earth, Russian Circles, Bedemon, Conan, Wrench, Eyehategod, Indian, Earthless, Pallbearer, Stoned Jesus, Old Man Gloom, Cave In, Acid Witch, Truckfighters, Tombs, Bang, Electric Citizen, Coffinworm, SubRosa, Eagle Twin, Mammatus, True Widow, Anciients, Bellwitch, Dead Meadow, Lord Dying, Death By Stereo, Radio Moscow, Ancient Altar, Samsara Blues Experiment, Atriarch, Elder, Mothership, The Well, Deathkings, Wo Fat, Rozamov, Destroyer of Light, Highlands, Bloodmoon, Slow Season, Goatsnake, Crypt Trip, Wrench, Lords of Beacon House, Tumbleweed Dealer, Sinister Haze, Blackout, Red Wizard, Banquet and Loom.
But the biggest news of the day came with the announcement of the festival’s headlining bands and they are eye-popping to say the least. CULT OF LUNA is set to close out the first night (May 15), SLEEP the second (May 16) and the legendary PENTAGRAM will close out the festival by performing First Daze Here in its entirety on day three (May 17).
Ticket prices for the festival range from $149.50 for a three day pass to $256.66 for a three day VIP pass.
Source:
Speakeasy PR
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GRAVES AT SEA - After a nine year hiatus, Portland, OR band GRAVES AT SEA made a huge splash with last year's split record with Sourvein. So it comes as no great surprise that the band has struck a deal with one of the top labels in the underground metal world. Relapse Records revealed today that the label has signed the sludge veterans to a record deal. The band plans to record their first full-length record this summer at Audio Alchemy Studios in Portland, OR with producer Greg Wilkinson.
The band had this to say:
"So now this is gonna happen…We're proud to say our first full length ever is coming out on Relapse Records. Relapse has been extremely cool to work with and we think it's going to be a killer fit. Cheers. DFFD."
Source:
Relapse Records
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MAMMOTH MAMMOTH - Napalm Records released details regarding Australian retro rockers MAMMOTH MAMMOTH’s upcoming album. Aside from the gourgeous cover, worldwide release dates were also revealed. ‘Volume IV: Hammered Again’ will be released March 27 in Australia and Europe, March 30 in the U.K. and April 7 in the U.S. and Canada. A limited first edition digipack CD will include the bonus track, “Alcohol”. The album will also be available on vinyl with limited runs of gold vinyl (X100), purple vinyl (X100) and gatefold sleeve and picture disc (X500).
Source:
Freeman Promotions
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CANCER BATS - Changing gears now, Canadian hardcore act CANCER BATS have announced a U.S. headlining tour to begin March 15 in Detroit, MI. The tour will take the band on nine dates through the Midwest down into Texas, then back north along the eastern seaboard, closing out at Saint Vitus bar in Brooklyn on the 28th. The band will be showcasing new material from their upcoming ‘Searching for Zero’ album slated for a March release through Metal Blade Records. The album can be pre-ordered right now at the band’s website and through Metal Blade’s website. Cancer Bats will be sharing the stage with fellow Canadian hardcore band Exalt on the tour.
Here are the details:
3/15/2015 Magic Stick - Detroit, MI
3/16/2015 Fubar -St. Louis, MO
3/17/2015 SXSW - Austin, TX
3/23/2015 The End - Nashville, TN
3/24/2015 Strange Matter - Richmond, VA
3/25/2015 Underground Arts - Philadelphia, PA
3/26/2015 Cake Shop - New York, NY
3/27/2015 Middle East - Upstairs - Cambridge, MA
3/28/2015 Saint Vitus Bar - Brooklyn, NY
See for more info:
Source:
Earsplit PR
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CHERUBS - Noise Rock is making a comeback. It’s been well over 30 years since Sonic Youth showed a world dominated by the rock n roll minimalism of punk rock that you don’t even need to know two chords in order to rock out. The band influenced a generation of disaffected youth, not the least of whom was Kurt Cobain, to simply pick up a guitar and wail away. But it seems the Noise Rock scene isn’t making a comeback all by itself. After 20 years away, noise rockers CHERUBS have returned to lend a helping hand to the revival.
The Texas trio’s new album ‘2 Ynfynyty’ will be available March 3 on Brutal Panda Records. You can stream the first single, ‘Crashing the Ride’ at Noisey. Fans of Whores will want to take a listen. Cassette and vinyl pre-orders are available here, while digital pre-orders can be taken right here.
Source:
Brutal Panda Records
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DARK FUNERAL - Do you like grease paint and burning down churches? Do you feel the utter desolation and futility of existence? If you do, chances are, despite how you feel, you’re not alone and Century Media’s got a place for you to congregate, with a new preacher to boot. The theater of worship is youtube and the subject is Swedish Black Metal band DARK FUNERAL’s new single ‘Nail Them To The Cross’.
The single features the debut of the band’s new vocalist Heljarmadr and will be available from February 23 on 7” vinyl and digitally. There will be 1000 vinyl copies, 500 black and 500 blue and they will be hand-numbered. You can grab yourself a copy through CM Distro and at live shows (see dates below). The label will start taking pre-orders January 26.
You can watch the “Nail Them To The Cross” video here.
Catch DARK FUNERAL live:
23.01.2015 Meh Suff! Winterfestival - Zürich CH
20.02.2015 Blastfest - Bergen, NO
15.05.2015 Steelfest - Hyvinkaa, FIN (Special TSOTBA set)
19.06.2015 Nummirock - Nummijarvi, FIN
04.07.2015 In Flammen Open Air - Torgau, DE
22.08.2015 Kaltenbach Open Air - Spital am Semmering, Austria
Source:
The Noise Cartel
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MORGOTH - And finally, in keeping with the day’s theme of bands returning after a lengthy hiatus, German death metal band MORGOTH will return with a new studio album after a 19 year absence, Century Media revealed.
The 11-track album, ‘Ungod’ will be released March 30 in Europe and April 7 in the U.S. and Canada. You can stream the new single, “Black Enemy” right here on soundcloud.
“After 18 years we can finally present a first glimpse at our new full length album “Ungod”!” the band said in a press release. “We started with the songwriting in January 2013 and finished the recording process by the end of December 2014. It was an awesome experience to go through the sometimes very complex and challenging process of writing and recording an album again.
“Our goal was to present some real Morgoth-style Death Metal, which closes the gap between “Cursed” and “Odium”. We hope that we have achieved this goal and our supporters and friends will like the final outcome.
“The idea behind the song “Black Enemy” is that this evil force rests within all of us and all we can do is trying to keep that beast under control. The “Black Enemy” represents the dark and destroying part inside of us and the lyrics deal with someone who is not able to control it anymore, committing a murder in the end”.
According to the comments on Soundcloud, reaction to the new song has been enthusiastic. You can catch Morgoth live throughout the year at the following dates and places:
MORGOTH Live 2015:
17.01.
GER Pretzschendorf /
Dresden Break The Silence Festival
20.02.
NOR
Bergen
Blastfest
26.03.
GER
Hamburg Bambi
Galore *
27.03.
GER
Berlin
Cassiopeia *
28.03.
GER
Würzburg Cafe
Cairo *
29.03.
GER
Wermelskirchen
AJZ Bahndamm *
19.06.
DEN
Copenhagen Copenhell Festival
20.06.
BEL
Dessel
Graspop Metal Meeting
21.06.
FRA
Clisson
Hellfest
26.-28.06.
GER
Protzen
Protzen Open
Air
30.07.-01.08.
GER
Wacken
Wacken Open
Air
13.-15.08.
GER
Dinkelsbühl
Summer Breeze Open Air
* “Ungod” release
shows with DESERTED FEAR as main support
Source:
The Noise Cartel
