DESERTFEST ANTWERP

The ideal soundtrack to your next road trip, Dommengang is living proof that there’s still raw life energy to be found in primeval blues rock. From the early days of ‘Everybody’s Boogie’ to the more nuanced and heartfelt ‘No Keys’, Dommengang’s hazy, fuzzed-out guitar embodies the sprawl of their spiritual home of Los Angeles. Their double-voiced riffs echo the legacy of the Grateful Dead or Canned Heat, while touching a nerve all their own.

Cave In has had a long winding journey that hit every station from their post-hardcore inspired metal roots, to experiments with space rock and alternative rock, and back to heavy. Count in the numerous side projects and personal drama, most notably the untimely passing of long-time bass player Caleb Scofield in 2018, and you get a band that has seen it all, done it all, and lived to tell the tale in a most personal and unique voice.

There’s a saying that goes ‘write what you know’, and for none this is more true than Charleroi-based Hispÿn. Every one of the violent stories of maltreatment in the grim doom-sludge songs of ‘Twisted Mind’ and ‘Alföldy’s Theory’ were pulled from singer Estéban Lebron-Ruiz’ real-life encounters on the job as a social worker. Cheerful? Not by any means? Necessary? All the more.

There are bands who have an intricate backstory that is told in long-winded concept albums and personal stories intertwined with the music. And then there’s GOZU who are just a bad-ass American rock band, write heavy riffs and great whip-smart songs and let those do most of the talking. They’re at it again in the studio as we speak, and safe to say that they won’t stray from this winning formula. We wouldn’t want it any other way.

The ambient-fiction project of visual artist and multi-instrumentalist Josh Graham (Red Sparowes, A Storm of Light), IIVII focuses on sonically engulfing and moody soundscapes, layered with a science-fiction edge. Subtle electronic orchestration and dense sonic atmospheres are augmented by a live show where visuals, guitar, keyboards, and cassette loops blend into an intoxicating whole. 

After the fall of the Berlin Wall, the capital city became a multi-cultural melting pot where a singer from Teheran and two brothers from Berlin started making music. More than 20 years and 600 worldwide shows later, the trio have established themselves as a tireless rock behemoth, incorporating everything from seventies rock and stoner to grunge in their infectious sound. 

Infamous for all the wrong reasons, renaissance man Anton Newcombe has over time proven that he may in fact be the only truly DIY artist working today. Brian Jonestown Massacre remains his crown jewel, a behemoth loose collective of like-minded freaks bringing you some of the best damn psychedelic music you can hear on a stage today. Miss it at your own peril.

If there is something like a ‘Platonic ideal’ of a stoner rock band, Elder must be its purest manifestation. Impossible to categorize, always pushing themselves and their fans towards bigger and bolder ideas, Elder has been at the vanguard of truly psychedelic music for a long time. Every song is a journey through everything that makes rock music exciting and great, and every performance is a joyous celebration of just that.

Opening the evening, Belgian trio Gnome will warm up the crowd with their adventurous blend of fuzzy stoner rock, progressive twists, and fantasy-driven storytelling. Their energetic riffs, playful atmosphere, and unmistakable stage presence make them a perfect opener for a night dedicated to epic heaviness

Associated with the infamous (some would say ‘notorious') Smoking Community underground in Athens, Greece, Half Gramme of Soma takes several pages out of the stoner handbook, then rolls ‘em up into a big fat doobie and proceeds to smoke it. The preview track for their upcoming new album ‘Slip through the Cracks’ indicates a more song-based approach, but who knows? All we can say is they might just be this year’s festival’s big standout surprise.

When Irist emerged in 2020 with Order of the Mind on Nuclear Blast, it was hard to believe that a debut album could hold such a fully formed sound. Of course, the concept of Irist had been long gestating in the minds of Pablo Davila and Bruno Segovia. But it wasn’t until they brought in Rodrigo Carvalho on vocals that they literally found their unique voice - doom, metalcore and death all boiled to a glorious unruly stew.

Maintaining the proud tradition of mind-expanding Greek psych-prog bands, Naxatras first established themselves as a live favourite in the European scene with jams that never failed to launch the crowd into the stratosphere and beyond. Now on their fourth album (simply titled ‘IV’), they add clever songwriting into the mix - as well as a new member on keyboards. Dont worry though, Naxatras is bound to still jam your pants off on-stage!

It’s been a long time coming for Pallbearer.  A well-earned hiatus to record their last album Forgotten Days turned into a much longer stretch when COVID hit, which means the band returns to the stage just in time to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of the seminal Sorrow And Extinction. Safe to say you can expect cuts from that beloved classic when they hit Desertfest.. but above all you can look forward to an energized and freshened version of your favorite doomsters!

On 2021’s ‘Arrow’, Red Fang came out with maybe their strongest work since the seminal ‘Murder The Mountain’. The fans know what this means: hard rocking and clever songwriting go hand in hand, always doing whatever the fuck they want, and never passing up the chance to incorporate a corny joke when they feel like it. All this from the hardest working band in stoner biz, so you know they’ll bring that same blend of quality and quirk to the stage - as indeed they’ve always done.

Come celebrate a belated 20 years of Suma! Although it’s been a few years since their last The Order of Things dropped, things are heating up again for Sweden’s noise doomers. Their previous albums got an anniversary re-release in 2021, and their socials have been teasing an upcoming new album. That gives us high hopes for fresh new material to be heard at DFBE 22.

Another chapter is added to the long and winding book of Unida. One of the seminal Palm Desert bands, they have persisted for almost 25 years, surviving line-up changes, break-ups and reunions, a weirdly botched record deal, and much more. This time on stage will be with Mark Sunshine (Riotgod) joining Arthur Seay and Miguel Cancino on vocals. With new music on the way, rest assured this is another exciting episode for Unida!

The Four Dudes from Poland make it clear from their slightly tongue-in-cheek moniker what their instrumental stoner sludge is all about. Like Snow White’s Five Dwarves From Hell, Cheesy, Sheepy, Alky, Hexy and Boogey set to work to mine the dankest, lowest, heaviest grooves they can find and sculpt them into shining diamonds of cosmic mind-expanding doom. Be sure to take your meds before this one. You know the ones…

No strangers to our festival, Bongripper returns to Antwerp to drown us all in smoke and misery. Defined by slow pace, unbearable weight and feelings of pure despair, the music of Bongripper leaves a mark on one’s soul. A mark not easily forgotten.

There is a whole sci-fi mythos connected to the Cities Of Mars band name, but really all you need to know is: these Swedes rock hard all throughout their mythical, post-apocalyptic song lyrics. This year’s self-titled album is their third, and the culmination of their very intricate melding of killer hooks and dense atmospherics, backed up by vocals ranging from harmonies to guttural roars.

Portland-based lovable hippie freaks that quickly outgrew their slightly tongue-in-cheek band name with their sophomore album Circle Of Days. Full of whip-smart love letters to all the classic 70s metal and hardrock tricks, the tracks combine juvenile glee with some very mature song construction and on-point instrument skills. It all makes us very curious to see how they’ll pull it off in a live setting.

The new open-minded young mages of the explosive psychedelia rock scene in Tampere, Finland. The basic elements of Polymoon are endless sonic reflections in the night sky, crushing fuzz guitars and undulating synthesizers. The backbone is formed by a symbiosis of complex drum sequences and pulsating bass guitar. The end result lands somewhere between cosmic space rock and progressive psychedelia - reverent to the past tradition, but somehow also urgently of now.

Few bands have the power to make traditionalism sound fresh, but the energy of Sasquatch will not be denied. For over 20 years, the Los Angeles-based power trio have been an institution among fuzz heads and those willing to groove. Sipping on influences from 70's metal, rock, and psychedelia, their approach to songwriting is clear-cut: keep the focus on the hook - and that’s never been clearer than on the epic new album, Fever Fantasy.

‘Sleepwulf’ refers to the Nordic gods Skoll and Hati, two wolves who continually hunt the sun and moon across the sky. Does this tell you anything about their music? Not necessarily no, but be aware that these Swedes (and one Scotsman) enjoy their mythologic worldbuilding, and extend it to the music which sounds like Sabbath and Jethro Tull jamming in some secluded woodland.

It was always clear from the outset that WITTR are not about black metal. Their music takes all the tropes, then blends and contorts them all into a magic concoction infused with their personal awe of nature’s inherent mysticism. Their moments of calm can be as imposing as the furious blasts that are also present. How they pull it off? An unflinching vision and bewildering technical prowess - that’s how.

With two short but extremely promising releases under their belt, Severant took to the stage just as the pandemic started to hit the international music scene. Undaunted, they used the time to hone their skills and are now ready to prove their mettle as one of the most promising ensembles in the Dutch underground. While their love for sixties and seventies psychedelia shines through, Severant’s unique energy is entirely their own, and utterly in the present. 

As a longtime fixture on the UK doom scene, Alunah has seen its fair share of ups and downs, including several personnel and label switches. This has resulted in an ever-evolving sound, consistently rooted in Sabbathian riffs but venturing out into space rock, folk and psychedelic flourishes straight out the Pink Floyd textbook. The current line-up (still with drummer Jake Mason as an original member) just released Strange Machine in april 2022, proving there’s still plenty of creative fuel to burn for the Birmingham doomsters.

Most retarded or most brilliant band name ever - why not both? Of course, much of what makes Pigs x7 (the more economical styling) work is the relentless quality of their very distinctive brand of metal, or whatever you want to call the crushingly heavy noise rock Matt Baty and his cohorts come up with. In the great tradition of British eccentrics taking an established sound and twisting and contorting it until it becomes unrecognisable and completely their own, Pigs x7 has to be the most un-doom-y doom band at Desertfest.

The international psych-rock scene is their playground, but as far as Eindhoven’s RMFTM is concerned anything goes really. Changing up their style with every release and diving into collabs with equally headstrong bands like GNOD, White Hills and 10 000 Russos, the Dutchmen always seem to have a new trick up their sleeve to keep things interesting for themselves, and their audience. Now with a second drummer-vocalist on board, the Radar Men are ready to take you to the moon and beyond!

Inspired by ancient mythology, religion, fantastical tales from European literature and a healthy obsession with classic horror, The Necromancers are a strange beast to behold. Blending progressive rock, heavy psych and the proto-metal of 70s originators with NWOBHM and some righteous lysergic dosage, these mysterious Frenchmen let their music and exquisite artwork speak for itself.

Fair warning: Stygian Bough is not here to please you. The singular collaboration between ultra-drone cult heroes Bell Witch and singer-songwriter Erik Moggridge deals in opuses that stretch to 20 minutes, but never lets you doubt their urgency. Here are profound explorations of life, death and purgatory - but all you really have to do is lose yourself and your earthly sense of time and space. A spiritual awakening is waiting on the other side.

Every Desertfest-edition there is always something truly unique happening. This year noisers/punkers/trashers Pink Room will not only play Desertfest Antwerp, they will also play in their hometown at Desertfest Ghent! Even more unique is that they will play the Black Sabbath classic album Paranoid (1970) from A to Z at both shows. What a black surprise!

More than 50 years after its original release the album still stands solid as a rock. Untamable songs like 'Iron Man' and 'War Pigs' -with untamable riffs- were the start of a whole new music genre. Without ‘Paranoid’ no heavy metal, no stoner rock, no doom, nor sludge – and of course no Desertfest. The horror!

Pink Room brings along a flock of bats, friends and guests to bludgeon your ears:
- Bart Baele (Speedözer, Ndugu, Tubelight)
- Jelle Denturck (DIRK., Protection Patrol Pinkerton)
- Lynn Claus (Ponycamp, Mother)
- Willy Organ
- Wim Segers (Compro Oro, PAARD.)

Together they will transform our venues into a deadly catacomb. Loud, louder, loudest!

With frontwoman Johanna Sadonis as the creative center point, Lucifer was rooted in the fertile legacy of Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin and Blue Oyster Cult. But the heaviest blues rock is a mere starting point for their instinctive take on the very soul of heavy metal - the electrified essence of rock’n’roll in its purest uncut form! From this vital ingredient Johanna and her cohorts weave a sensual and intoxicating concoction called Magic Rock – heavy, heartfelt and holistic.

Tons have been rolling up their heavy reefer sounds since 2008. The esoteric atmosphere of hometown Turin forms the base of their slightly tongue-in-cheek but deceptively hard-hitting stoner antics. The member’s names (Slowninja, Little Stevie, Glüten Freidrich, Vito Power) and song names (‘Abbath's Psychedelic Breakfast’, ‘99 Weed Baloons’) might be cause for mirth, but you won’t be laughing too hard when pummeled by their ‘Filthy Flowers of Doom’!

Italy’s finest, Mr. Bison are no strangers to the Desertfest scene and so with the utmost pleasure we welcome them back to Antwerp for yet another killer ritual! Channeling the wild spirit of the Italian coast into a whirlwind of psychedelic rock, heavy prog, and desert-drenched fuzz, they blur the line between heaviness and harmony. It's not just riff worship—it’s a full-blown trip.

Earth rockin’ drums, a beard growth inducing bass, fuzzomental guitars, the roar of a wolfman and a whole lotta beer. That’s all the ingredients for the infectious stoner grooves of kickass Cologne rockers Plainride. No heavy thought needed on this one, just light up a fag, put on your coolest shades, get on that lowslung motorbike and ride off into the sunset with filthy dirty petroleum-soiled rock blaring through your headphones. s’Easy, dude!

With 2022’s ‘Acute Mania’, their first album in five years, one could argue Steak has found a new voice without ditching the old one. Songs still rock as hard as they ever did, but ten years of performing together has allowed the London band to venture out into new musical pastures. Moody psychedelia, extensive melodic jam workouts and crafty arrangements neatly blend in with their trademark riffing dynamic. 

When three out of four members left the band (including founding member Bartek Dobry), fans were rightfully worried what, if anything, would become of Weedpecker. Lucky for us the switch-up proved to be nothing less than a creative rebirth. What remained was a dreamy, truly mind-expanding take on ‘psychedelic’ music. But 2021’s IV: The Stream of Forgotten Thoughts took it far beyond the trademark heavy riffage to include both mellow jams and seething punk outbursts. 

Ever since 2004, Slomatics have adhered to a simple but effective formula: keep it simple, make it heavy. Throughout hypes and trends that came then went in the realms of doom and sludge, they have kept to this fundamental principle with an almost scientific intent. Or should we say ‘religious zeal’? As rigid scifi fans, the Belfast trio display a bit of both, making their surefire riffage hit all the harder.

Upon first hearing the Brussels-based My Diligence, you will not believe that it is only three musicians. Gathering influences ranging from Helmet-style math-grunge to infectious QOTSA rock to the wild meanderings of Elder, their sound is further augmented by the inclusion of a Moog keyboardist in lieu of a bassist. Does this in any way reduce the pummeling power of this trio? The answer is a resounding ‘Hell no’!

Throughout their 33 year existence, NY-based death metal pioneers Incantation have seen a lot of line-up changes. Kudos then to leading man John McEntee to remain true to his original musical vision, from 1989 until now: a blackened mass of death metal as expansive as the coldest and darkest reaches of our universe. As a result, the upcoming retrospective release Tricennial of Blasphemy might just be the pinnacle of Incantation’s storied career.

Riot Grrrl is not dead! Rosy Finch takes a page out of the nineties femme-rock playbook and pushes it to a new level that is entirely in the present. Front woman Mireia Porto knows the quiet-loud (or rather ‘menacing-royally pissed’) dynamic like no other, balancing unearthly screams and atmospheric chants while the band builds a huge wall of sound through feedback and noise. 

Wucan has become a firm scene favourite by doing what always gained the highest respect in stoner circles: be your own self and answer to no one. Thus, Wucan has become just about the first (and maybe only) band besides Jethro Tull to make it cool to rock the flute. Of course, that is not their only redeeming value. Main woman Francis Tobolsky runs a tight ship that combines top-class musicianship with truly original songwriting - topped off with a stage presence that straight up rules.

A heavy doom father-son collab! Chris Babalis Jr. and Sr. join their twin-guitar forces with family friends Dimosthenis Varikos and Marios Louvaris to create a stoner sound that is dark, heavy and fuzzy. Their third full-length album "Caravan" was conceived and recorded during the height of Corona, and presents a heavy, sublime and pitch black journey into the vast unknown.

Blues rock that crackles with the spirit of the Memphis Delta! The Heavy Eyes have been building their rep the way all classic bluesmen have done before them - by working hard and earning the salt of recognition, grain by grain. Every subsequent album on German’s psychedelic mainstay Kozmik Artifactz has shown a band more confident in their songwriting and sound, with the incendiary live shows to follow suit.

Formed in 2016, Philly-based High Reeper quickly grew from a studio project to a kick-ass live band. Witnessing them on stage, it’s easy to see and hear why. With zero fucks given, High Reeper revels in the kind of Sabbath-infused biker hardrock you can only seriously pull of when you, like, two hundred percent mean it, maaaan. And hey, if it’s excellent enough for the gourmet stoners at Heavy Psych Records, you really don’t need any further proof.

Forget Desert Rock - this is TUNDRA Rock! Forging their own Scandinavian version of the SoCal stoner sound, SLOMOSA employs downtuned guitars, heavy grooves and clear vocals along with thoughtful songwriting that even allows a hint of pop. After a number of highly acclaimed singles, their self-titled debut album (2020) hit hard, garnering praise from The Obelisk himself who called them "Norway’s new shooting stars of huge rock".

Hailing from the unlikely place of Lviv (Ukraine) and using a cryptic joke as your band name. There are easier ways to cement a reputation in the stoner rock scene, but that's exactly how Somali Yacht Club does it. Of course, it's all about the music and on that front they deliver in spades. A unique blend of stoner riffs, postrock sensibility and effective atmospheric songwriting, SYC's sound is as unique as their band name.. and maybe that's why it actually fits like a glove.

This Belgian cult band went on a hiatus in 2012 after an 18-year long career, but returned live on stage just a week ago. Expect psychedelic songs with melodic and melancholic passages, building on the heritage of Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd and King Crimson.