Diaries of Doom

Another trip around the sun and we find ourselves at a time of year for reflection, resolution and introspection - or for writers like me, a time of year where we scramble to get these lists out and hope to get a few shares. On a personal level, 2022 won't be a year I'll forget any time soon. I've been lucky enough to work at Desertfest London, Bloodstock Festival and Arctangent Festival with three different publications and in particular, I'm lately getting a lot of gig reviews under my belt with The Razor's Edge. I got to see Billy Idol the day before my birthday with a press pass. That was amazing. Through media, I've got to chat in-depth with plenty of the bands on this list about their own music. I hope that I'll be able to tick off more from this list as we go into 2023. Of course, most that know me as the Diaries of Doomer will know that I hold six-string duties in Alunah. At the start of the year, I still felt like the new guy in the band - no one el...

Formed in 2014, The Miser , based in London, have forged their dark and gloomy sound for around a decade. The name is taken from 14th century painter Hieronymus Bosch, and his painting Death and the Miser', a reminder that death does come for us all. Their upcoming EP 'Memento Mori' - which of course means that no one can escape the ultimate fate of death - will look at themes of horror, mental illness and loss within its lyrics. With that said, there's still an element of fun and entertainment within The Miser and what they do. Their newest single, 'House on the Hill', kicks off with a punky, Misfits-style vibe - appropriate considering that the track openly pays homage to B-movie horror films! There's some killer, groovy old-school doom/stoner metal riffing (think Church of Misery or Trouble) supporting a soulful vocal from Sean Crocker. The chorus is super catchy and sticks around in your head after the song finishes and his subtle harmonies illustrate th...

  The first edition of Slaughterhouse Festival has been announced in full for April 2023, presented by Counterstrike Promotions . To be held on April 29th and 30th at the Castle and Falcon in Balsall Heath, Birmingham, the main attractions are Red Method and Divine Chaos on Saturday and Sunday respectively. Wired THC, Hands of Attrition, Chaplain, Spawned from Hate, Embodiment and Second Cities are also high up the bill. Ticket link  (£10/day or £16/weekend) / Spotify playlist / FB event The Saturday afterparty will be at Subside from 11pm-6am, with half-price entry with a festival wristband. Devils Playground, Straight for the Sun, Dead Mob, The Mighty Wraith, Callous Hands, Kensei, Tumanduumband, Voidlurker, Thrashatouille, Monastery, Appocaholics, Black Water Fiend, Below The Stones, Born Zero, Senescent, Nameless, Solars, The Bloodthirsters, Hated by Design, Desecrator, Slump, Dead Mans Hollow, Inflictions and Bullhead complete the lineup. MN

  My first encounter with an early incarnation of Epimetheus was back in 2015, when at a university open mic night, a trio of musicians were playing amped-up classic rock covers and catchy twelve-bar-blues numbers, by far the loudest and heaviest band on the bill. Eventually, an 'originals' set began to materialise, and the band would unveil Mandalorian , a riff-heavy stoner rock outfit, at a show in the university student village. Still with an unapologetic classic rock flair, but with bigger riffs, catchy choruses and (even) more volume, it was a natural forward step from their covers act, finally with a firm lineup in place as groove-meister general James Jackson would take permanent residence on the drum stool.  The Machetezilla EP would drop in 2018. Led by emotive, bluesy guitar work from Cillian Breathnach, Jackson's jazzy stylings and a screeching, soulful heart from Ben Price's vocal performance, it now appears - purely in hindsight - to be the sound of a band ...

  Hardcore/sludge metal kings Battalions are back in town with their fourth album. Four years on from Forever Marching Backwards , Kingston upon Hull's Battalions have churned out a monolithic slab of hardcore punk-meets-sludge glory over the pandemic, full to the brim with stomping grooves and gut-wrenching savagery.  Though they've gone back to their roots musically, it's the end result of a season of change for the quartet.  As vocalist Phil Wilkinson explains,  'During the covid lockdowns, we underwent a personnel change, namely welcoming drummer Simon into the Battalions fold, so with this we wanted to go for a whole new production process. We chose a brand new studio to us, Nø Studio in Manchester with producer Joe Clayton (Pijn), as we wanted a new sound after using Chris Fielding (Conan) for all our previous efforts. King of a Dead World is us returning to our roots, big grooves rooted in a dirty DIY sludge and hardcore sound. In addition to this, we also cho...

Desertfest London have announced their first batch of bands for their 2023 edition, running from May 5th - May 7th next year.  The festival say: Returning stronger than ever thanks to the unyielding support of our steadfast fan base, Desertfest is now entering its eleventh year next May. Kicking off the initial 2023 announcement, we welcome cult heroes Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats to headline the Roundhouse for the very first time. As one of the most widely-requested bands in the Desertfest-sphere, the Uncle Acid amalgamation of riff-driven hard-rock & trippy melodic weavings has allowed a uniquely original, yet utterly timeless beast to form.  Swedish heavy-blues maestros Graveyard join once again, eliciting raw emotion with their lyrical prowess & introspective compositions. One of the greatest live acts of all time, German groovers KADAVAR and worshippers of vintage occult folklore Blood Ceremony , all of whose boundary pushing retro-rock sounds make a gratifying...

Birmingham Death Metal newcomers Hand of the Host are due to release their latest song Cannibalistic Self Mutilation on 03/10/22. Following on from the success of previous single Demonic Tormentor , Cannibalistic Self Mutilation is a throwback to classic death metal with chainsaw guitars and bruising drums. It's certain to evoke the brutality of the lyrical subject matter, which takes inspiration from the 2009 case of a New Zealand man who acted upon the fantasy of amputating and eating his own body parts. With ominous bass notes in the intro, Hand of the Host waste no time in setting an atmosphere. The doomy opening chords and foreboding guitar squeals suck you into their depraved world before the verse even kicks in. The medium pacing of the track is ideal for a sea of headbangers to nod along to, with double bass drumming that pounds away and keeps the song ticking. A lead guitar section towards the end really impresses, with a tasteful, expressive performance.  C...