Diaries of Doom

This Summit Fever , the high-octane and self-described 'heavy fuzz rock' duo from just outside of the birthplace of metal, will release their next EP, Distraction Rituals , on Friday. Distraction Rituals is a powerful refinement of the band’s heavy, riff-driven, stoner-rock-infused grunge of their 2021 debut EP, Doubt . “We wrote and recorded Doubt between Covid lockdowns with the intention of eventually being a trio or quartet,” says Andy Blackburn, the band's guitarist/vocalist. “But when we struggled to find the correct personnel, we committed to being a two-man setup and tried to capture our live sound on Distraction Rituals . Since we’re focused on what we can do live, the guitars on this new EP are even louder, the riffs are even more interesting, and the drums are even more exciting.” “There are a lot of bands out there that are happy to sound like Kyuss or Black Sabbath, which isn’t a bad thing at all,” says Blackburn. “However, we’re very conscious of not doing ...

Combichrist - This Shit Will Fuck You U p Promising an old-school set for all of us Uprising attendees, the aggrotech/industrial giants are really offering a treat in a few weeks. 2023 really does feel like Uprising's strongest year and I imagine this set will be much talked about after the event. It's hard to argue with the legendary status of the first song from Combichrist's second record. In every sense of the word, it will fuck the Academy up. Lowen - The Fortress of Blood My pick from 2018's 'A Crypt in the Stars', this track showcases Lowen at their haunting best, with wailing vocals and a uniquely Middle Eastern take on doom that gives them a psychedelic and progressive feel. Lowen do something genuinely interesting and different; this may well be one of the most memorable sets of the evening. Boss Keloid - Hats the Mandrill The one I come back to more than the rest from 'Family the Smiling Thrush'. The key changes are masterful, the riffs cr...

Crowbar are celebrating thirty years of their legendary debut album on the road. On 2nd April, they stopped off at The Asylum in the Home of Metal for a bowel-shakingly heavy night of sludgy riffs and sheer sonic power. First up are Stourbridge horror doomers Tumanduumband , who have established their name on the live circuit through hard work and dedication to bringing their riff-tual up and down the country. After anointing a few at the front with a bloodied, inverted cross, they start with the dark, psychedelic intro to Throne of Grief , before the mountains of fuzz are engaged and they launch into a masterclass of doom metal worship. Their sound is absolutely massive in the Asylum's main room; it's probably the darkest, loudest and most powerful I've seen Tumanduumband. With their two faithful skeletons flanking the pair of them, their visuals are stark, adding an important extra dimension to their performances, as musically, they strip doom down to its bare bones, with...