THE SIGIL hail from Linköping, Sweden, deriving their name from the idea that certain inscriptions carry magical properties. Indeed, you can find theirs above. The band conjures an intriguing brew of heavy psych, proto-metal, and dark rock with a touch of wondrous mysticism to it all.

In March, the crew of five dropped one of my favorite singles of the year so far, “Spirit of the Wild,” which featured sharp dual guitar play and balmy choruses. Their newest single, “The Shape of Shadows,” is straight up rousing rock ‘n’ roll, with a nod to late-'60s and early '70s melodic folk rock. The song warns of encroaching authoritarianism in a time of civil unrest (“When they come to take you away in the night”). In the music video, a couple flees through swampy green corridors, while a rich man drinks his bourbon overlooking streets pluming with cx gas and masked policemen.

The Sigil release “The Shape of Shadows” this weekend (get it here). Stick it on a playlist with Bloody Hammers, Blood Ceremony, Green Lung, and Roky Erickson.

Give ear…

SOME BUZZ

Esoteric melodic rock outfit The Sigil is preparing to unleash their mesmerizing new single “The Shape Of Shadows” on the 5th of May. A tour de force of attitude and energy, with electrifying guitar riffs, pounding drums, and a driving bass line, “The Shape Of Shadows” features intense vocals and captivating lyrics; a modern classic in the making.

The lyrics delve deep into the theme of unseen powers that rule us and the hidden, perhaps otherworldly forces that shape our lives. The song explores the idea that even those who appear to be in control may themselves be subject to a shadow power. Who controls the puppeteers?

The Sigil’s trademark sound is on full display, with a raw and unapologetic approach to rock that’s both timeless and contemporary. A new sense of urgency and purpose propels the band to new heights of creativity and expression.

The Sigil came about as a no-holds-barred expression to combat the musical fatigue of the founding duo. A shared interest in folklore, history and the occult set the tone for both music and lyrics: melodic and memorable, yet often melancholy and haunting. In 2023, three new members were added, turning the project into a full fledged band. “The Shape Of Shadows”, like the previously released single “Spirit of the Wild” serves as a harbinger of things to come as 2023 unfolds.

“The Shape of Shadows” is on the surface about the abuse of power and resistance to the same. But beneath the veneer, it poses deeper and darker questions touching on the idea of clandestine forces lurking in the background. Illuminati, occult sects vying to gain power and control. Who rules our rulers? And who are their masters?

In 2020, a motley group of fuzz laden, distortion drenched goats magically appeared from the blues-rock, desert jam pastures of Linköping Sweden, capturing our hearts and minds with their debut album, The Magician’s Keep.

The album garnered massive praise from notable review platforms reaching repeat play status at Majestic Mountain Records HQ and beyond. Ranked amongst the top 100 albums of 2020 from The Doom Charts, The Magician’s Keep promptly sold out and the rumblings for a follow up have been rowdy.

Frontman Stoffe (aka Christofer Johansen) explains:

‘Traveler’ (2022) is the continuation of the journey started on our debut into the vast deserts of space; a deep dive into both the infinity of the universe and the shallowness of man. It’s a paradox of metaphor with inspirations split between interstellar space travel and witches gathering for black mass detailed in the single “Witches’ Walk,” the result being an explorative sonic experience drawing from the jam-rock vibes of ‘70s prog and the harder riffs of modern stoner.

To do this part of the journey with our friends at Majestic Mountain record feels great. Majestic Mountain Records has grown to be a real powerhouse within the stoner and doom community, and to be picked up into their roster for this release means a lot. With Majestic on the road ahead, we hope to lure more souls into damnation through our noisy jam-rock. Long story short: grab your coven, let’s ride.

The second coming of Goatriders is nothing short of triumphant, taking the undeniable impact of their debut to the next level and beyond in a masterfully confident stride, while in no way shedding their signature, raucously DIY spirit but instead strengthening that ethos with an intentionality and vision that’s quite honestly stunning.

From the artwork penned by the band’s drummer Daniel Pihl over four long months (which is filled with allegorical symbolism) to the deeply impactful, psychedelically charged and explosively exploratively rich soundscapes Goatriders create, the band is firing on all cylinders in perfect symbiosis taking us on a hedonistically crunchy, fuzz laden jam rock odyssey with Traveler that’s very simple unforgettable.

Singer Stoffe Johansen’s confident oratory style is charismatic yet without airs; both strangely satiny and slightly unnerving. Like the devil on your shoulder, he croons lyrics of deep and damming metaphor with a crawling rawness and dashing panache almost reminiscent of Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson at times.

We’re transfixed as the jams writhe, ebb and flow through a fantastically loud and rowdy wall of driving riffs, irreverently in your face and near constant. In the background a consistently strong yet shadowy bassline from bassist Jimmy Hjalmarsson broods beautifully off brilliantly brash, crashing drum work which is persistently tough as nails and decidedly on point.

The seamless interplay between guitar and bass is noteworthy and might hint at the familial relationship of guitarist Robin Hjalmarsson and bassist Jimmy Hjalmarsson resulting in some weird, fraternal intuitive magic between the two but whatever it is, it’s bloody fantastic. A burning pyre of noisy, crunchy riff-play and thick explorative jamming, with fat, bouncing bass noodling which undulates and contorts around the swinging groove laid out by drummer Daniel Pihl.

Vivid storytelling works in tandem not only with the incredible lyrics, but with the unbelievably organic interplay between all parts of the instrumentation. Goatriders constantly turn up the heat with positively stomping, bluesy, breakdowns and fantastically filthy Hendrixian riffage and more groovy pummeling rhythm than we can shake a broom at all the while transfixed by malevolently provocative crooning. Listen also for guest vocals on the LP from Nico of Jointhugger (“Snake Mother”).

Lyrically profound and esoterically focused, well-worn tropes of space travel, witchcraft, and nods to modern Satanism seem to be given new life as the band approaches these themes with complete convictions, at times even balls-to-the-wall gusto. Goatriders display a prolific and deep level of knowledge, sensitivity, and knowing – even spiritual depth. Throughout the album, the band weaves a hypnotic story of leaving something behind and an evolution, a becoming of sorts.

In “Goat Head Nebula” we encounter:

Grander than the first one
Only second to the last
All that once stood shining
The old gateway turned black
Heed the only truth
Enter free from guilt
All must obey the one law
Do what thou wilt

Or, more poignantly, from the track “Witches’ Walk”:

Step right through these open gates
Step right in and escape the haze
Told by the old, written by the youth
Hidden before you, drawn on the moon
All the truths, the forgotten lies
Words of wisdom left out to die
Listen closely, hear the goat speak
A calm breeze, by the raging sea

As you can see, there’s more than meets the eye to Goatriders’ Traveler. Our last visit to the album yielded the aforementioned single/music video “Witche’s Walk.” Today, ahead of its weekend release on Majestic Mountain Records, Doomed & Stoned is giving you a full listen to the entire LP.

All above, so below
Planets shift, time moves slow
Suns will die, stars be born
Barren earth, scarred and scorned

Though it may be hard for us to fathom now in this age of scientific rationalism, long before witches were castigated as devil worshippers and burned at the stake, practitioners of folk magic and traditional medicine were once revered, even consulted by rulers. There is the well-known story of King Saul who sought out the Witch of Endor and had her conjure the spirit of his dead advisor, Samuel – this in spite of the fact that his own laws made witchcraft a capital crime.

Still, there’s a veil of mystery that covers witchcraft, and it inspires fear and fascination in about equal parts. Consider many of the films produced in the past 100 years, from 1922’s lurid Häxan and Simon: King of Witches to The Blair Witch Project and Robert Eggers’ masterpiece The Witch. All of them reflect our fascination with occult knowledge and the ancient dark arts, and simultaneously betrays our frustration with the hard, cold logic our civilization is built upon.

“Witches Walk,” the brand new single from Sweden’s GOATRIDERS, is rich in symbolism as it describes the witch’s strange allure and powers. A meandering bass riff opens the song to a crescendo, when it is joined by jamming garage guitar and disquieted vocals that cautions us: “Listen closely, hear the goat speak…What kind of song is she singing now?”

It’s the latest sounds to emerge from the Linköping camp, and readers may already be aware of their first album, ‘The Magician’s Keep’ (2020), which came out in the early days of the pandemic. Now the fuzzy psychedelic desert rockers are returning with their second album, 'Traveler’ (2022).

Frontman Christofer Johansen, best known to fans as Stoffe, had this to say about the new record:

'Traveler’ is the continuation of the journey started on our debut into the vast deserts of space. A deep dive into both the infinity of the universe and the shallowness of man. It’s a paradox of metaphor with inspirations split between interstellar space travel and witches gathering for black mass detailed in the single “Witches Walk,” the result being an explorative sonic experience drawing from the jam-rock vibes of '70s prog and the harder riffs of modern stoner.

The music video by PrettyNoose is a mashup of scenes from vintage flicks about witchcraft, sometimes we see only a flicker of them but that’s all we need to entice the imagination. Look for the album to release July 1st on digital, CD (Ozium Records), cassette (Evil Noise Recordings), and vinyl (Majestic Mountain Records) formats. Vinyl pre-sales start today (pre-order here). Stick this in a pipe and smoke it with Witchcraft, Graveyard, Sleep, Hazemaze, and Green Lung.

Give ear…

SOME BUZZ

“Goatriders are serving a tincture of desert rock and space worship.”

We are Goatriders, a band from Linköping, Sweden. Playing our own take on stoner-rock. Drawing from the more jam-rock vibes of the 70’s prog and the harder riffs of the modern stoner- scene, with songs that often explore only one or two riffs but still stays away from the monotone sounds that often comes along with the genre.

Influenced by bands such as Naxatras, Kyuss and Monster Magnet, Goatriders is still not afraid of defining its own path down an already beaten one.

And with a drive to keep true to a DIY-aesthetic by curating as much of the art, merch and recordings as possible that surround the band, Goatriders is on the path of creating something special within the Swedish stoner community.

In 2020, Goatriders released The Magicians Keep which gained critical acclaim around the board. A fresh take on stoner rock but still in touch with the roots of the genre. The Magicians Keep ended up on multiple best of the year-lists around the web, most noticeable on the Doom Charts top 100 albums of 2020.

In 2022, the follow-up album is dropping, a three sided LP that takes a deep dive in both the infinity of space and shallowness of man. An album influenced equally by interstellar space travel and witches gathering for black mass.

Currently looking forward to shows in the fall & the coming year, Goatriders are very excited for the end of the pandemic and to get out on the road.

It will come as no surprise that Sweden is one the planet’s prime locations for heavy music. The Sign Records has done a fine job of documenting the stoner-psychedelic end of the spectrum, tossing in some delightful surprises along the way. Recently we were given word that the label had signed Linköping’s NOCTURNALIA and plans to release new material in September.

I’ve had an affinity for the dark rock vibe since discovering Ancient VVisdom and Young Hunter and first became aware of the five-member Nocturnalia in 2013, with the release of their debut, ‘Nocturnal’ (2013), followed by 'Above Below Within’ (2015). There’s an emotional undercurrent in Nocturnalia’s sound that I find impossible to resist. Drawing from late-seventies and early-eighties influences like Rainbow, Linus Ekermo (vocals), Martin Ericsson (bass), Kalle Elfvin (guitar), Linus Lundgren (guitar), and Dennis Skoglund (drums) have carved out a vibe that’s meant for the night, the kind of music you listen to on the drive home from a night of revelry. Something about the simple composition, crisp soaring vocals, and gothic sheen conjures a mood for contemplation and emotional honesty.

If this is your first time hearing Nocturnalia, I think “Beyond The White” makes a fitting introduction. Look for the new album 'III: Winter’ (2019) later this year, with pre-orders soon announced here.

Give ear…

Some Buzz

In the mysterious vast lands of Scandinavia, where ancient monuments of stone erecting towards the sun, dark and heavy rock quintet Nocturnalia resides. With thunderous and organic sounds of classic rock, ritualistic drum patterns and sinister yet beautiful storytelling they create a hypnotizing blend of music and impressions characterized by epic soundscapes and sublime winding melodies.

The eerie and cold yet peacefully quiet atmosphere of the harsh Scandinavian winter manifests itself clearly in the cultural heritage throughout history; the hostile conditions, the absence of daylight, famine and stagnation have put emphasis on humanity’s endless and determined struggle for survival. These occurrences have shaped the tradition of music, philosophy, poetry, art and folklore connected to our nature and it’s mysticism, and has also been the primal source of inspiration for Nocturnalia.

With influences ranging from classic rock acts such as Rainbow and Black Widow to ‘Hammerheart’-era Bathory and traditional folk music woven together they have shaped their sound into something quite familiar but at the same time remote and unexplored.

The spiritual aspect of their music has also been an important part of the song writing as well as their intense and fiery live performances - to let go of habitual structures and allow the music to resonate with higher levels of the consciousness and deeper within unconsciousness. To let creativeness take form on its own premises. To put meaning free from words into music.

The idea behind Nocturnalia saw its first light in late 2011 when founding members Kalle Elfvin and Dennis Skoglund started to write material which eventually became their first 7” single “Until the morning light” followed by 12” single “Night rainbow” and their first full length album ”s/t” (2013), released by local label Gaphals records. After some touring around Europe and a couple of lineup changes they evolved musically into something more complex and introspective. They entered the studio to record their sophomore album “Above below within” (2015), also released by Gaphals records.

After the second album they decided to take a short hiatus from song-writing and touring in favor of other musical and creative projects - Drummer Dennis Skoglund is a member of the rock band Night and occasionally a live musician in dark ambient/folk music acts Forndom and Draugurinn. Guitarist Linus Lundgren is also a member of occult rock pioneers Year of the Goat and singer Linus Ekermo is the bass player in label mates Oblivious.

In early 2018 they started to write new material and later that year they recorded their third full length album “III: Winter”, to be released by The Sign Records in September 2019.

It wasn’t too many years ago, we were saying that all good things come out of Sweden. After all, it’s land of Witchcraft and Graveyard, Greenleaf and Truckfighters. This delightful name-game of who’s who in Swedish heavy music can go on for quite some time. Suffice it to say, the depth of that scene is legendary, and it continues to surprise us with new developments.

Enter one HALLAS. I bragged about this amazing find a few years back, when I introduced the five-member band that manages life somewhere between Jönköping and Linköping. Their self-titled debut was an ingenious mingling of Black Sabbath heaviness and protometal textures with classic seventies fantasy and adventurism.

Today, Doomed & Stoned is excited to premiere the second single from their sophomore effort, ‘Excerpts From a Future Past’ (2017 - The Sign Records). Our friends over at Invisible Oranges brought us the first track from the record, “Astral Seer,” and today Doomed & Stoned is bringing you another: “Star Rider.” It’s a fantastic trip that weaves retro progressive rock with an undercurrent of spacey dark wave for a song that was all too short and, hence, has had me playing it in constant rotation.

“In this tune we follow a knight and his companion on a journey to find a seer who has become too powerful,” drummer Kasper Eriksson tells me. “The song is just one part of the whole story which makes Excerpts From A Future Past..” He adds slyly: “It’s our first song with a proper refrain and it’s basically a pop song!”

If this is the new face of pop, then sign me up as a sold-out, died in the wool fan! Excerpts From a Future Past comes out October 13th on The Sign Records, and will be available soon for pre-order here.