Diaries of Doom

Witch-identifying people beware, as the riff-worshipping, heavy rocking Kill The Witch have emerged from the murky depths of Stafford with their first EP. They'd released music under a previous name, but on this effort the sound is more cohesive and unified than ever before, firmly settled on a groovy, energetic metal tone borrowing from Orange Goblin, QOTSA and other bands that they've gigged with over the past few years. Slime , a sleazy stoner sludge anthem to be blasted in dive bars at four in the morning while drunk idiots grind on each other, welcomes you into the release. "She's all covered in slime, and she still looks fine, take you back to mine?" No guesses what this song might be about. Its break into a frantic Song for the Dead -style finale is inspired and adds a layer of interest to the track. I end up coming back to this song a lot for this reason, as well as the tongue-in-cheek vocals which the band pull off really well, each smutty line spat out...

Someone somewhere has pissed off Master Charger and out of it has come a beast of a stoner/sludge anthem. The first new noise from the Nottinghamshire threepiece since 2020's Origin of the Lugubrious , Social Witch Hunt takes a dirty, Iommi-style riff drenched in mountains of fuzz for a ride over almost four and a half minutes. Introducing itself with wailing feedback and a well-executed drum fill, there is a good, upbeat energy to the track and it will be very interesting to see what kind of new chapter for the band this signals. Master Charger - Social Witch Hunt (live at Uprising 2023) The raw production style, led by Andy Dawson, really gives the track a live feel that this kind of music really needs to be most effective. Along with this, the guitar tone, whether in its fuzzed-out glory or with a bit of wah over the lead parts, packs a serious punch ahead of the pounding rhythm section. Dave and Jon dictate the energy of the track with a lot of power, but equally with a good...

Uprising 2023 was my first time in attendance at the festival, lured there by the likes of Boss Keloid and Paradise Lost. I can safely say I'll be there in 2024. I'd be more than happy to go as a punter, doing media again, or (ideally!) performing. From what I could see, the entire festival experience was efficient, warm and friendly. I love the sense of community at these festival environments and bumped into plenty that I'd not seen since last summer. There were plenty of bands I wanted to see again, a few I wanted to see for the first time and also a good few surprises in the pack. Let's dive right in... It's my first time seeing Feral State , the openers on the third stage. Their vocalist Joe is also a member of Bile Caster , who I've seen a few times and played the pre-party the night before. Feral State are on the opposite end of the musical spectrum - though they have some groovy moments, most of the set is relentlessly frantic and breakneck-paced. It...