One year ago, Doomed & Stoned wrapped up the decade with our most ambitious slate of events to date. We held four festivals in 2019, including our first romp into Australian territory with Wind Burn Doomed & Stoned Festival, the inaugural Wisconsin Doomed & Stoned Festival, and a pair of second-year festivals in Ohio and Chicago.

The magic of these events is that they were all organized by natives to each scene, folks who have a true passion for the music of the heavy underground and a chum familiarity with the locals, resulting in a tastefully curated roster of bands that were natural complements to one another.

Big ups to Chicago Doomed & Stoned Festival co-organizer Lara Noel (pictured above with Don Niesen from sponsor Music Maehem Underground Media) for tirelessly grinding to ensure all the pieces came together in alignment with co-organizer Shane Merril of Empire Productions.

Together they really busted their hinders to bring us a thoughtful, well calculated line-up, with some of the most memorable performances in Chicago heavy music history – and that ain’t just hype.

Join me as we revisit the scene and get to know each of the acts that performed during the long, hot summer weekend in Chicagoland.

Pre-Fest Hype

By the time all the boarding and onboarding, transfers and layovers were said and done, I arrived at Chicago O'Hare thankfully without my usual travelling companion (the last few adventures in the air have all seen me land with a big, fat migraine headache).

Lara Noel picked me up and I had my first adventure with Chicago traffic, which last year was ranked second-worst in the nation. We ventured right into the downtown area to rendezvous with Chuck Clybourne (former lead singer of Faces of the Bog) who was putting the finishing touches on his new industrial project 5 R V L N 5 at Decade Music Studios, where The Skull, Pelican, Corrections House have all recorded.

After meeting up with my hosts to grab some brews and tacos at a small bar, I decided to get an early night’s sleep (awakened here and again by the guys playing Nintendo and having deep, philosophical arguments). After grabbing a Dr. Pepper the next morning, I was ready to immerse myself in the full Chicago heavy music experience!

High Gallows

Kicking off the beefy three-band bill was a Milwaukee handful of trouble known as High Gallows. Stoner rock groove met southern sludge grit in this set, which definitely got the crowd at Soundgrowler Brewing Co. (our gracious hosts for the little party before the big party) revved up and ready for more!

Tim Hespe, besides being an all-around swell fellow, has some of the most voracious vocals in the scene right now. Keep it up, guys, and you just might be sharing in the legacy of Clutch and Sourvein in the not too distant future.

Weed Demon

As the sun went down, it was time to shift gears and get immersed in the grungy, smokey world of WEED DEMON. The Ohio band was definitely in the zone – I mean, you could see the trancelike state all over Jordan Holland’s face. This guy means business when he starts riffing.

That goes for the rest of the crew, too. Andy Center and Brian Buckley traded hooks and riffs throughout the set, and it was evident that both guitarists were going all in on the eve of Chicago Doomed & Stoned Fest.

Black Road

The evening was full of discovery for me, but the biggest suprise came from Chicago’s own BLACK ROAD. At that time, they were in the early stages of recording ‘Witch of the Future’ (2019) – which ended up as one of my favorite ten albums of last year. However, this was the show that revealed it all.

I couldn’t believe how much their material had matured – a giant leap forward for Suzi, Tim, and the rest of the Chicago quartet. I promised to keep a lid on the footage I recorded until the album was released, so now that it’s happened all can be revealed!

You can check out the set in entirety on Doomed & Stoned’s YouTube channel.

Black Road skated out just 15 minutes past the sound curfew and after some fellowship, we scattered to the four corners of the earth stoked for tomorrow based upon this promising beginning.

The Big Show!

Longstanding Doomed & Stoned contributor Lara Noel teamed up with Shane Merrill of Empire Productions for a two-night event housed at Reggie’s. Having watched quite a few shows online from the storied ChiTown venue I was quite excited to be there in the flesh.

After meeting members of the production crew, I found my way upstairs and settled into the cushy, oversized chairs, well-worn from use and abuse over the years, and peered through the mesh fence donning the balcony railing overlooking the stage. This would be home base for most of the weekend for me.

Even though I’d brought my trusty Canon camcorder for filming, something overcame me as I settled into my seat and I said to myself, “I’m just going to sit back and enjoy the show.”

Thankfully, photographer Josh Dagenais was on hand to capture all the action, and let me tell you, he was into his “job” that night, zipping around to and fro to capture the perfect angle and those beautifully candid moments.

DAY I

Uncouth

As the crowd slowly began to trickle in, UNCOUTH took the stage and belted out doom as epic as you could ask for. When I was first toying with the idea of filming from the balcony, I shot some test footage of the band and I’m glad I did in retrospect, because frontman Skitz M. Jones is a singer who can really light things up.

In fact, the whole team was amazing, each bringing something special to the table. This is a band I’ll be eager to keep tabs on in the months and years ahead. More than anything, it was so thrilling to hear metal playing at the big hall in Reggie’s – and at our own festival!

Starless

STARLESS ended up being the big story of the night. Most people were hearing about them for the first time and once their set was over, everyone was talking about how good it was. It’s quite difficult to describe their style without using the ubiquitous term “atmospheric,” but that’s what it was – high drama.

Anchored by a sophisticated contemporary sludge metal sound, the vocal harmonies and searching guitar leads rocketed the crowd into outer space that evening.

High Priest

One of the most powerful of the newer bands rising to prominence in Chicagoland is HIGH PRIEST, a four-piece that like Starless is quite hard to categorize (and you know music journalists love to do that!). All you need to know is that their sound is ascendant. Clean vocal harmonies soar above a wall of dense, deep riffage and steady, driving rhythms.

By the way, the lead singer was wearing perhaps the most fitting t-shirt of the night, which is to say he was wearing an actual white t-shirt. I heard rumors that he’s studying to be a doctor, so maybe it was a quick change from the hospital to the concert stage. Hell, in the words of Nirvana, everyone should feel free to come as you are. Ah, maybe that’s the word I’m looking for to describe High Priest’s overall vibe: honest.

Frayle

Just hours before doors opened, we ran into power couple Sean Bilovecky and Gwyn Strang chilling in a booth on the Reggie’s bar side. Sean was affable and Gwyn was a little shy, but eternally lovely. In fact, the one thing I can say is characteristic about her performance is it’s veneer of frailty. I couldn’t tell whether he slight movements were a part of the performance or just the way Gwyn is most comfortable performing – a reflection of the cold, cool persona of the living dead.

The people really showed up for Frayle, too. I was especially happy to see many younger female fans, not that Frayle’s music is targeted at any specific gender. I’m used to seeing guys my age, give or take 10 years, flock to doom metal festivals, but I was really glad to see the crowd diversify as the evening went along. If heavy music is to thrive beyond my generation, it must be accessible to everyone.

Forming The Void

While I’d vowed to just drop my shoulders, relax, and enjoy the show tonight, the one band that triggered every instinct in me to document the moment was FORMING THE VOID. They’re super nice guys who I ran into a year earlier at Psycho Las Vegas. I only got to sample part of their show that evening, so I was really curious what they would bring to a Doomed & Stoned festival.

Thick, chalky lights in earth tones flooded the stage, draping the band in a primitive hue. As they sang, it struck me how natural it all sounded. I then concocted a scenario in my mind that James Marshall, Luke Baker, and the rest of the Lafayette boys were simply cavemen who had been thawed out after eons trapped in ice. Now they sit on big rocks and contemplate the state of the world through melancholy songs back by instruments that mimic the rumble and roar of mammoths and sabertooths.

I shook myself out of the daydream just in time to be fully present for “On We Sail,” which is perhaps their finest song to date (well, I’m a bit biased because it’s one of my favs). A magical moment indeed.

Torche

At last, the big finale was upon us. I confess, the lack of sleep and jet lag was getting to me by this time in the night. It would have been, what, 2am in Oregon by the time legendary Miami heavies TORCHE took the stage. I know it’s sacrilege, but I’d never gotten into their music – until now. Steve Brooks hit the stage with determination and gusto.

Even if I was tired in body, I was with the band in spirit. A made my way to the balcony, slithered into one of those big comfy chairs, closed my eyes, and soaked in songs from their newly released 'Admission’ (2019) album. The crowd was elated to hear both old songs and new. There’s something undeniably uplifting about Torche’s sound and the good vibes carried with me on the car ride home, as I looked at the city now quiet in moonlight and thought about what a strange and wonderful life this is.

DAY II

Since we had such a late night, the temptation to sleep in – I mean really sleep in – was great. I recall this happening during the original Doomed & Stoned Festival in 2016 in Indianapolis on the second day, as well. Luckily, we awoke in time to get in on lunch at the finest burger joint in the midwest: Kuma’s Corner!

There we rendezvous with the rambunctious and jovial boys of Wizzerd and Seattle’s Witch Ripper, chowing down on grub that included The Doomed & Stoned Burger (though I confess I had the Mastodon Burger, myself). Good eats to fuel us up for the long night ahead.

Snow Burial

We arrived at Reggie’s right in the knick of time, as SNOW BURIAL were just getting done with their sound check and ready to officially kick off the June 1st festivities.

Musically, the trio from Chicago has been described by Metal Hammer as “post-Mastodon” post-metal. Now wrap your mind around that! All I know is it rocked! Snow Burial is characterized by layered, intertwining textures, vocals that are at once monastic then beastly, and a drum kit that is busily burrowing into the earth while the winter front moves in.

Somnuri

Hailing from Brooklyn, SOMNURI are a rapacious sludge metal trio. They kind of remind me of my homies Zirakzigil on the opposite coast, in that they’re music feels like an ever evolving stream of rhythmic intensity.

Had a chance to chat briefly with the guys after their performance and they were super nice and grateful to be included in the line-up.

Wizzerd

In fact, there were a number of younger acts featured throughout the weekend because that really goes to the heart of the Doomed & Stoned ethic. We’ve always been about sharing the music and the stories of the heavy underground, with an emphasis on “the Sabbath sound.” Few band embody the dual doom-stoner nature of the Ozzy-Iomi-Bulter-Ward tradition like WIZZERD.

After an uneventful drive traversing acres of vast nowhere, the mighty handful were ready for action! I decided to break with my fast from filming to document the moment, as I’ve been friends with Jhalen, Jamie, Wayne, Layne, and Sam for quite a few years, with Wizzerd playing some amazing Doomed & Stoned showcases in Portland and Seattle.

As then, their stage presence now was robust, brimming with joie de vivir. I have a feeling that they made more than a few new fans that night.

Witch Ripper

WITCH RIPPER have been doing their thing since 2012 and we’ve had our eye on their simmering rise since Doomed & Stoned’s inception in 2013. Their brand of heavy plays out in realms of Fantasy, with the swords and shields of slaying riffs and hammering beats. It followed, then, that their Chicago performance would be full of fiest and fury.

I joked with the band after their harrowing performance that I had to travel all the way from Portland to Chicago to see a band just four hours up the highway in Seattle.

Wolf Blood

The careful consideration given to the placement of each act on the bill was apparent by the time WOLF BLOOD began strumming new tunes from their new album 'II’ (2019), which Doomed & Stoned had the pleasure of debuting.

The Duluth foursome share a sonic kinship with a band who was to appear just hours later: Bask. Not afraid to meander in the nebulous trappings of psychedelic doom, Wolf Blood can change from a gentle wanderer into a voracious pack animal on less than a moment’s notice (see: “Story of a Drowning Man”).

Demon Lung

I confess the band I was most excited to see again was the Las Vegas occultic desert doomers DEMON LUNG, who I’d first come upon at Psycho Las Vegas in 2016. I was never much more than a nominal fan before that day, which changed everything.

To me, they were the most authentic doom band I had yet encountered, and remain a guidepost in the genre to this day. Cultic, occult, and dark as fuck, Shanda Frederick brought me chills the way she presented most of her set veiled, then cloaked in the end.

You will not be saved
By the Holy Ghost
You will not be save
By God

The instrumentation both compliments and contrasts her tales of woe, with some excellent death-metal stylings from guitarist Phillip Burns, plodding basslines from Sage Adam, and the beating heart at the bottom of it all, drummer Jeremy Brenton.

Bask

Have to tell you, I wasn’t expecting the evening to get any better after Demon Lung, but it went from one level of glory to another. We were now nearing the high headliners and BASK was up to bat. Alright, I admit it, I wasn’t going to film them – mainly because they were a newer experience for me and I just wanted to soak it all in. But, as soon as their set started, I thought to myself, “This is terrific! I’ve got to capture this for the folks at home.”

I mean, come on, you can’t help but love that mix of rustic country with classic stoner rock and psychedelic post-metal. There I go again with the elaborate classifications. Trust me, I know; it’s all in the name. Bask is a band that invites you to release the stresses and tensions of everyday life and lose yourself in their rippling, radiating sound.

Blood Ceremony

At this point in the review, I fear that my praise and adultation will not be enough to let you know how great it was to see BLOOD CEREMONY live. Alia O'Brian is such a class act and a fantastic artist. I didn’t realize until recently that she was not the original vocalist, but stepped up to that role (plus the organ), in addition to her flute duties, after the original singer moved to India.

Alia absolutely owns the stage, not through sultry charisma (though she is indeed beautiful to behold) but through dexterous skill and deft songwriting. The entire band is a well-oiled machine that delighted the audience, which had now more than doubled in size.

Coven

We could have ended with Blood Ceremony and everyone would have called the second year of Chicago Doomed & Stoned Festival a success, but Lara Noel had to up the ante and boy am I glad she did! Never in my life did I expect I’d get to see the Queen of Doom herself, Jinx Dawson of COVEN. I saw people of all ages at the show, and lots of couples (no doubt some of whom had experienced Coven in their party days during the 1970s).

Oh, did I mention that this was Jinx’s big return to Chicago, where she cut her teeth playing with Vanilla Fudge, Alice Cooper Band, and Jimmy Page’s Yardbirds? And it resonated with people, judging from not only the attendance that night but the nearly 10,000 views of “Wicked Women” my film garnered after the festival.

People love Jinx, and for good reason. She’s an inspiration. Now in her '70s, she’s got more pep than many people half her age, not to mention a lionshare of fearlessness and incredible artistic sensibilities. I love, for example, how she retooled the band for a new generation, yet incorporates all of her classic songs into the mix.

It is said that Black Sabbath borrowed their name from her song on 'Witchcraft Destroys Minds & Reaps Souls’ (1969) just one year before the seminal 'Black Sabbath’(1970). And it’s no wonder. Never before had a band tapped into satanism and the occult so overtly and unapologetically as Coven had. You thought Ozzy was a wicked one? Try crucifying and flogging Jesus on stage. I mean, Jesus CHRIST, man! (BTW, met him after the show and he’s a swell guy.)

Special Thanks

And with that, the big dance has come to an end. I’d like to personally thank Lara Noel for all the time, sweat, and attention to detail she put into the Chicago Doomed & Stoned Festival. Few will know of the sacrifices she made to make it all come together. In turn, Lara would like to thank the following folks:

Sponsors:

• Backline: Sean Patton/Tyrant Tone
• Kuma’s Corner: David Bacso
• Soundgrowler Brewing: Kayla Renè, Arturo Lamas, Erica Renè, Lawrence Michael
• The Doc Metal Show with the Real Munson: Jacek Leja, Wade Munson (Aired via Asgard Radio)

Personnel:

• Reggies (Venue): Robby Glick (owner)
• Shane Riley (on site production manager)
• Kelsie Janssen (office staff)
• The entire Reggies team!
• Suzi Uzi (sponsorship coordinator, organizing assistant, social media)

Art/Design:

• Jeff Berner (Art of Jeff Berner): poster art
• John Bickness (Jonathan Grimm Art): logo
• Chuck Clybourne: poster layout/graphic design

Webmaster/Website Design:

• Mark Aceves

Press Coverage:

• Don Niesen/ Emily Mae of Maehem Underground Media
• Chicago Crowd Surfer
• Chicago Reader

On-Site Photographers:

• Josh Dagenais, Johnny Hubbard, Don Niesen

Psycho Las Vegas ~ A Photographer’s Vision:
Elizabeth Gore

~Film Clips by Billy Goate~

The year 2016 brought the heavy underground in the United States its first European-style music festival: Psycho Las Vegas. Riffians from the four corners of the map converged upon the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino for the big meeting in the desert. Doomed & Stoned was there to capture the sights, sounds, and experiences of these epic four days of stoner rock, heavy psych, and doom fuckin’ metal, with a hellish line-up of bands that have long skirted popular metal glory. A festival this big required the lens of three photographers, and we’ve previously shown you photosets by Alyssa Herrman from Portland, Oregon and Sally Townsend from Melbourne, Australia (who also had her festival photos published in Brazilian and Japanese magazines).

Now, in this third installment of the series, we give you a glimpse of this weekend through the lens of Elizabeth Gore from Los Angeles, who previously covered Psycho California and Night of the Shred, from which Psycho Entertainment (formerly Thief Presents) emerged. Liz is an invaluable member of the Doomed & Stoned team, who also manages our merch (we sell a t-shirt here and there, mostly operating in the red, all for the love of the game). “I got to see and shoot a little over half of all the bands at the festival,” she says, “which, if my sore, aching feet were any indication, was quite an accomplishment. Let’s just say I put my work into Psycho ‘16.”

Besides the music itself, Liz says: “What I liked the most was talking to all the people who asked me who I was shooting for. I was shaking hands, making introductions, getting to know people, developing a comradery with other photographers. I got into 45 minute conversations with people who had travelled all the way from Australia, Japan, the UK, Mexico. And I don’t know what it was about the stage at the Paradise Pool, but I got offered a lot of drinks there! It was really an experience I hadn’t had at any other festival before.”

What follows is a collection of the bands that surprised and impacted Liz the most at the first annual Psycho Las Vegas. (Billy)

CHRCH

After a hectic arrival, checking in, getting my press pass, and figuring out where I needed to be and when, I entered the Vinyl Stage at the Hard Rock to see Sacramento’s CHRCH. These guys are seasoned musicians and I really enjoyed their debut, 'Unanswered Hymns’ (2015), but I wasn’t sure what to expect from them live. In all honestly, I’m always a bit harsh on my female singers because of my background as a classically trained vocalist. There was something ethereal about how Eva delivered these songs. She was concealed by a veil for a large portion of the show and you could sense the music moving through her every motion very naturally. Her lyrical expression was depressing and wicked all at the same time. I don’t get to see that a lot in female vocalists, because they think their sexuality is something they have to turn down or their vocals are lacking, but Eva dropped her guard, made herself vulnerable, and allowed us to feel this earthy, pagan sense of sexuality. It made a very powerful statement.

SUBROSA

Now for SubRosa, I knew exactly what I was in for. I already knew they were going to make me cry! (laughs) Apparently, they did that for almost everybody in the venue. The emotions that they emit from their instruments can be extraordinarily harsh and exquisitely gentle, and I think that’s why that performance affected me so deeply. (Read our interview with Sarah and Rebecca and stream our SubRosa Psycho Las Vegas Special here.)

DEMON LUNG

This Vegas-based five-piece has a lot of synergy – they feed off each other and at times seemed to be almost telepathically connected. Shanda Fredrick is a powerhouse, with the kind of control over her voice that afforded her a perfectly chilling performance. Her gothic lace dress and, later, that striking red pagan robe added to the atmosphere. There’s a seething rage that comes through her lyrics, like a cunning serpent waiting to strike. “You will not be saved by the Holy Ghost…” Those cold words came across as a stern prophetic judgement, because she believes what she’s singing through and through. I talk to bands that have a fascination with the occult – they dabble in it, but that’s as far as it goes. I haven’t interviewed Demon Lung, but I suspect their worldview is more comprehensive. While some bands work occultic symbolism into their stage shows, watching a Demon Lung, CHRCH, or Tribulation performance is like participating in a ritual…an incantation of song. (Read our review of Demon Lung’s A Dracula here.)

BEELZEFUZZ

These Maryland psych rockers wowed me with 'The Righteous Bloom’ (2016), which I’d just listened to just a few days before the festival. I know that Greg, Daren, Bert, and Dana are veterans of the scene and masters of their craft. Beelzefuzz songs have very simple phrasing, but hit you like a brick splashing in the water. I stayed through the entire set, even though I had other bands to shoot, not sure if I’d ever see them again and wanting to take in these precious moments. (Read 'Beelzefuzz: Sojourn To Psycho’ here.)

TRIBULATION

Ok, Tribulation is hands down one of my favorite bands. I’ve shot them multiple times over the years. I’ve chatted with guitarist Jonathan Hulten, who danced around stage in a 19th century ballerina outfit without any self-consciousness whatsoever. Now that’s freedom. When I heard they were booked for Psycho, I said, “You guys are going to be the darkest band on the roster.” As it turned out, they were a suitable complimented to Candlemass and Electric Wizard, even SubRosa, because Tribulation is so filled with emotion. They’ve always affected me deeply, because they sing of chaos, the void, and hidden Luciferian concepts that I don’t practice, but certainly identify with.

BELZEBONG

Now we come to the two bongs of the fest: BelzebonG and Bongripper, who played back to back on different stages. I was fighting inner turmoil – who do I go to first, Bongripper or BelzebonG? I started with BelzebonG and they didn’t fucking disappoint, this being the Polish band’s first ever US performance. What I didn’t know is how violent an all-instrumental set would be. They surprised the hell out of me with just how jarring the performance is. The way those guys thrashed about made it a challenge to photograph, to get those perfect shots that would capture the magic.

BONGRIPPER

The Chicago band rarely comes to my area and the one time they did, I missed them (of course). As expected, Bongripper’s Psycho performance was powerful, earthshaking. They were one of the few bands that weekend that managed to stir up a circle pit in the swimming pool. Later on, Frank Heredia caught up with the irreverent Dennis Pleckham for an interview, in which he talked about Psycho and why the tip of his finger suddenly went missing.

ELECTRIC WIZARD

I only got to see Electric Wizard once before when they came through LA a year ago. That was a very different experience for me, smashed up against the rail in a breathing room only auditorium, trying to enjoy what I could while grabbing a few snaps while dodging elbows and sneakers. Their Psycho performance was far and away a different experience for me. For one, I was not expecting the incredible imagery and symbolism from the visuals Jus Oborn created to accompany the show, which integrated clips from seventies Italian and English horror movies, rituals of the Satanic Church, and raw grindhouse sleaze – all presented in a dizzying psychedelic kaleidoscope. It left me with lasting imprint of each song. After a long day, feet hurting from choosing the wrong shoes, it was nice to grab a drink, sit on the balcony, and just drown in the sound.

GOYA

You might say Goya was on my doom bucket list. I’d heard they were one of the best live performances, bleeding deep with feelings of horror and revenge. Right after Electric Wizard, we were all tired (it was two o'clock in the morning when Jeff, Nick, and Sonny took the stage). Me, Stephanie Cantu, and the boys from Goya were in the green room prior to, laughing about how we’d all chosen the wrong shoes. I noticed Jeff was wearing a Creepshow shirt – one of my favorite shows as a child. If Goya didn’t have my devotion before, they had it 100% now! Playing to a room that was still filling up when they began, Goya were absolutely keyed in, playing old favorites, a Nirvana cover, and a brand new song.

MANTAR

Mantar travelled clear from Germany and seeing them at Psycho was a must for me. Contrasted with their wild, frenetic blackened death stage persona, these were a couple of super-sweet guys and so grateful to be at the festival. The Vinyl Stage was packed from the rails to the back doors, and you could tell they were feeding off the energy of the audience. I mean they really played their guts out, metaphorically and literally! Immediately after the set, Erinc Sakarya came right up to the garbage can and proved it. I went to the green room, got him a bottle of water, and asked in German how he was feeling. “A lot better now,” he said, answering back in his native tongue. “Thank you for staying for the show.” Mantar play hard, take their art seriously, and bring it night after night, city after city. I know a lot of bands from the US that work really hard, but more often when European bands come to the US, they’re extraordinarily devoted, getting up at the crack of dawn, and touring relentlessly.

CANDLEMASS

Candlemas is the first epic doom band I got into, growing up with records like 'Nightfall’ (1987). Even though the vocalist was Mats Levén and not the band’s best known figurehead, Messiah Marcolin, people were beyond excited to see this legendary band and it was one the key highlights of the festival for me. The Joint Stage was running a bit behind and everyone in the crowd was getting super antsy. The members of the band came out periodically to check on their equipment and people would go nuts when one would show his face. The show began and Candlemass opened with “Marche Funebre” and everyone –- I mean the entire crowd – was in total elation. We held our breath through the opening bars and then all the air escaped our lungs as we screamed “Fuck Yeah!” I’ve seen pictures from the 80’s and early 90’s, so it was odd for me to see Candlemass today, a little older and with a younger singer. But I know exactly why they chose Mats for the job. His vocals remind me of Ronnie James Dio, who has to be one of his influences. That vocal range of his is simply incredible. There were times I was just standing in the photo pit buried in awe. I didn’t think I was ever, ever going to get to see Candlemass in my lifetime, so it was a deep honor to be able to capture their essence.

SLEEP

As I was constantly hustling between three stages, seeing a complete performance was a luxury I didn’t afford myself…but I was determined to see Sleep’s entire set. The plan was to shoot early, capture the quiet subtleties of AL Cisneros and the outlandish energy of Matt Pike, then go up to the balcony and soak it all in. In the photo pit, there were a lot of photographers freaking out because the stage was enveloped in complete darkness. And absolutely no flash allowed! Some photogs were just sitting there concentrating intently on each member of the band trying to get a good shot at the first glimmer of light. It was a difficult objective for me, too, but there was a point during the second song when I just needed to chill. After all, this is what Sleep wanted.

Al rarely does interviews because he is an introvert. He is an intellectual, a very spiritual person –- all three of them are. The focal point in this grand operatic setting was not going to be them; it was going to be their music. I began noticing how they shifted around in the shadows and honed in on that, rather than standing there waiting for ideal circumstances. The only drawback to the lighting situation was that I couldn’t really capture their drummer.

Security allowed the press to shoot for the first two songs only, then ushered us right out of there. That was fine by me, actually, because it was time to rest those footsies again. It was Billy Goate’s first Sleep show and he was a little put off by how large the hall was. It just didn’t feel intimate enough. I told him that if you take the name Sleep literally, it involves the deprivation of the senses. I suggested that he close his eyes and let the sound completely immerse him and fade into the subconscious. Looking around me, I noticed everyone was interacting with the music differently. You had the throng on the floor connecting with other Sleep worshippers in a very physical way (actually moshing). Then there were those of us in the balcony who were aiming for a more personal experience with the set. An older couple in front of us was holding hands and appeared to be cuddling, more than likely reminiscing about their first meeting at one of those legendary San Francisco shows in the 90’s. Doom on!

FU MANCHU

Full disclosure: I’m not a Fu Manchu fan of any sort, at least I wasn’t before. I mainly wanted to shoot them because they’re highly regarded veterans of the stoner rock scene. I thought they were going to give a predictable, by-the-numbers performance and that would be that. I was wrong. This was no dog and pony show, but a performance of complete honesty. Next to Midnight, Fu Manchu were one of the funnest bands I got to photograph. I love challenges and Fu Manchu were tearing up the stage, just brimming with energy, so I had to aim and shoot on instinct. When it was over, I came walking away with a big, stupid grin on my face. It seemed to me everyone was feeling the same joy. What a great choice for the first ever Psycho Las Vegas!

TOMBSTONES

Tombstones was one of the bands I’d heard of, but never listened to before, so I didn’t know what to expect from the Norwegians. Well, this thunderous set – the quartet’s first on American soil – beat me to my core. There was definitely something eccentric about their compositions, and of course very, very dark. Especially when it came to the vocals, which were belligerent and frightening. There were moments where I was physically shaken, which is saying something because I document a lot of black metal bands. As with Mantar, the guys were very affable off stage (I ran into them in the elevators beforehand and they were jovial) so their performance caught me entirely off guard. There are bands like Bell Witch that scare the living shit out of me, for similar reasons; because when they perform, they are the Bell Witch. With Tombstones, they’re shaped by a lot of tragedy and set-backs. Perhaps that’s why there’s something absolutely devastating that comes through their music. (More of Elizabeth’s Tombstones photos here.

MIDNIGHT

I didn’t know if it would be a good idea to have Midnight play the Paradise Pool stage. I mean, that’s just asking for trouble. The people who come to see Tribulation or Candlemass or Mantar are a very distinct group of metalheads, and I didn’t think this particular setting could handle that crowd. There was certain to be a violent pit in this pleasant pool setting. Besides, it was stupid hot outside and the alcohol was flowing freely.

From the opening note, these boys were just all over the place. Talk about reckless! There’s something very punk about their attitude. They don’t give a damn. They really don’t. If they had a mind to take everyone’s beers out of their hands and smash them over their ugly mugs, or even take my camera from around my neck and smash it on the drum set, they would have damn well done so. There’s just something palpably dangerous, certainly uninhibited about their performance.

Members of Midnight had their traditional cowls on (they don’t show their identities). Since they’re veiled, there’s no emotion from their faces for me to pick up on, and that’s a particular challenge to the photographer. You have to focus on other things: the environment, what they’re doing with their instruments, the movement, the bravado, the chaos of the crow – however this manifests itself one moment to the next. Everything is on fire, and you’re on hot coals with them. These boys were just fucking nuts. They were jumping off the drum riser, off of each other. There was something completely primal about it all, like the opening scene from 2001: A Space Odyssey. I felt the photo pit rattling because everyone in back of the barrier was throwing up horns and fists to the blazingly fast progressions they were spewing out. There was a heavy circle pit going on and I didn’t want to be flung into it with my camera.

There is nothing perfect about Midnight, but that is what makes them so wonderful. They are unhinged, dirty, vulgar, smelly, rough around the edges, and, again, they just don’t care. That’s how they want to be. One of my favorite EP’s by them is ‘Farewell to Hell’ (2008) and their full-length ‘Satanic Royalty’ (2011), along with their most recent album, ‘No Mercy For Mayhem’ (2014). There are Luciferian overtones and occult rituals run deep in the fabric of their music. They talk about not being afraid of anything that happens to them and seeing their performance, it is apparent that death is exhilarating to them, and that’s why they play without fear.

DISENCHANTER

I could have easily packed up and gone home on Day Three after Alice Cooper. I planned to beat traffic by pulling an all-nighter from Vegas to LA, but I decided to stay and support festival closers, Disenchanter. I’m a big fan of ‘Strange Creations’ (2015) and had a really nice conversation with Sabine and Joey when I was in the elevator (had a lot of interesting elevator encounters during Psycho, including one with Matt Pike, who I totally fan girled out on). Sabine and Joey seem like extremely genuine people. They’ll sit down with anyone for a chit-chat: black, white, rainbow, rich, poor, clean, sober, with leprosy, they don’t care. That’s something that’s important to me, especially as an introvert. I knew they were married, and I could see the chemistry between the two of them, even before they hit the stage.

The members of Disenchanter are molded to one another in a very special way. They are simpatico. There is no ego to that band. I saw it from the moment those mysterious first notes that rung out. Joey plays in his hair, which is fun to watch, and exhibits a special relationship with the drummer. Sabine is the focal point of the band and she portrays herself very honestly, playing exactly what she needs to. No bullshit. Straight to the riffage. Incredible vocals. Intelligent and enchanting.

After photographing for a spell, I sat in the back of the hall and let the sonic soundwaves soak in, without any compulsion to be anywhere or to do anything. When “Sorceries” started, it was one of the most sublime things I’d heard all weekend. Out of everything, this was the moment that touched me, with the lights fading in and out and the different dandelions and flares enveloping the band, creating this kind of fantasy world that one would identify with Disenchanter. Whether or not they got the 2 am slot on a Sunday after Alice Cooper, they came out with great earnestness, playing with all the energy of a true festival closer. This was the perfect farewell that Psycho Las Vegas needed.

Get ready for Psycho Las Vegas 2017! Complete line-up will be announced soon, along with tickets, at www.PsychoLV.com.

D&S Reviews

Demon Lung’s ‘A Dracula’

By Cosmic Evee (D&S West)

Las Vegas doom metal band, Demon Lung, will soon release their second full-length album, A Dracula, through Candlelight Records. This concept album, produced by Billy Anderson (Neurosis, High On Fire, Eyehategod), is based upon Juan López Moctezuma’s 1977 cult horror film, Alucarda.

The track listing unveils the chronological tale of a hellish bond between an obsessed daughter of Satan and a pure soul, who together become possessed by demonic forces and wreak bloodshed havoc upon a convent attempting to exorcise the evil from their souls. With original cover art by Joshua Foster (Pallbearer) displaying a burning church scene, we can expect 44 minutes of shadowy Baphomet subject material to begin unfolding.

Rursumque Alucarda

The gentle opening instrumental, “Rursumque Alucarda,” introduces A Dracula with sounds of the classical acoustic guitar, foretelling a story to come like opening the cover of an archaic book.

Behold The Daughter

“Behold The Daughter” is Demon Lung’s first exhibition of taking evolutionary steps in their sound, from traditional doom to a progressive, modern vibe. The pace is doubled over for the first couple minutes of this song’s introduction, demonstrating Demon Lung’s edgy movements towards experimentation since their last album, The Hundredth Name, in 2013. Just under three minutes in, the rhythm section slows down to those familiar guitar riffs Demon Lung fans are so kin to, which is highly reminiscent of Candlemass instrumentation.

Ghastly vocal harmonies chime in, creating a haunting atmosphere that Shanda Fredrick becomes more immersed in as the pace drops for the rest of the song. She leads the ritual with solemn vocals, comfortable and forefront amongst the slow slamming bass which follows in unison to the steady cymbal clashing.

This song’s narration parallels with beginning scenes from the cult horror flick, introducing the birth of Alucarda from a mother who entrusts a nun to care for her daughter’s life at a nearby convent. It is implied that the baby girl may have problems in her future as her mother severely suffers from demonic terrors in the last moments of her life.

I Am Haunted

This slow jam evokes the spirit of traditional doom metal so well and will continue to do so for the remainder of the album, setting the mood for an unholy chapel.

“I Am Haunted” gives the feeling of a doomy haze slowly settling over like a creeping cemetery mist. Sultry and beckoning vocalization leads us willingly through to the unknown, persuading us that everything will be alright as we explore morbid subject content. Front woman Shanda Fredrick sings in Alucarda’s own spoken words from the film, promising that death is not the end and comforting us that “We will die together.” The funeral instrumentation is marked heavily by cathartic guitars lingering with every strum, abiding cymbal swaying, and heavy drumming that fills in hastily when needed.

This song gives us insight to the inner workings of Alucarda’s devilish mind, referring to a part in the movie when she wishes to eternalize a blood pact with her innocent new friend, Justine, so they may live and die as one.

Gypsy Curse

Demon Lung interprets a scene from the cult film where the girls reenact a sacrificial rite upon their return from an encounter with a gypsy in the wilderness of a nearby forest. As if hypnotized by the evil charm, they proceed to spill blood from one another’s breast and drink upon the crimson life force, allowing the dark forces to begin their manifest work.

“Gypsy Curse” is a slow, drum rolling continuation of the previous song, with a break in the middle of the song characterized by fast cymbal tapping and unrelenting guitar strumming that moves us forward in the track. We then return to a steady pace for the rest of the song, ending off with frontwoman Shanda deviously instructing us to “Bow down before your god.”

Deny The Savior

After the intermittent wild rides from the first half of the album, we are let off easy with a doomy track permeated by devilish riffs and powerful, deep toned feminine singing.

“Deny The Savior” alludes to a scene within the movie where Alucarda and Justine voice the words of Satan during a church lesson in the convent, proceeding to mock the holy faith and taunt a nun who desperately tries to help them, despite her renouncing of their actions. When the devil daughter is taken to confession to admit her wrongdoings, the Satanic lecture she delivers to the priest echoes as lyrics within this song proclaiming, “You worship death, I worship life.”

Mark of the Jubilee

“Mark of the Jubilee” is a reference to a part in Alucarda in which the formerly innocent, Justine, is bound nude to a crucifix and exorcised by the church leader in attempts to free her soul from the evil grasps of demonic possession. The mark upon her naked flesh is used as proof that Satan has indeed taken a hold of her vessel as she dies in vain upon the cross.

Slow, soothing vocal melodies transform into a dark symphony of hatred with words like “Your death shall be merciless.” Shanda Fredrick sheathes her fangs with sinister vocalization that channels the demonic spirit of Alucarda on this song. This is the one of the best songs on the album, successfully evoking a Transylvanian atmosphere of riffage.

Rursumque Adracula

‘The calm before the storm’ instrumental is a two-minute long duet between the acoustic and mournful electric guitar, acting as a contrasting interlude in “Rursumque Adracula” before the final Satanic assault.

Raped by the Serpent

“Raped by the Serpent” immediately lashes out with hard and heavy guitar strumming and a steady bass line that continues to increase in striking malevolence for the latter portion of the track. The drums are typified most noticeably by metallic cymbal tapping and clashings, and the whole concerted effort of the instrumentation collectively complements without creating too much noise in its menacing appeal.

This song uses the last, gruesome scene in Alucarda for the inspiration to end the album with all hell fires raging loose upon those who oppose the dark forces.