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