Doom Metal
Converge Announce 2022 US Tour with Full of Hell, Uniform, and Thou
Converge have announced a March 2022 US tour, and they’re bringing along heavy-hitting support acts Full of Hell, Uniform, and Thou. As previously reported, Converge were forced to drop off their tour with Meshuggah after the dates were rescheduled. Instead, Converge will headline a stacked bill of underground talent for 10 concerts throughout March. The trek kicks off March 10th in Philadelphia and wraps up on March 20th in Detroit, sticking mostly to the East Coast and Midwest. Get tickets via Ticketmaster. Advertisement Related Video Converge were supposed to be supporting Meshuggah during that span, but we’re certainly not complaining about the contingency plan. Due to the strength of the support acts, the order of the openers will change every night. “Attendees should arrive to the sh...
Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats Announce Spring 2022 North American Tour
Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats have announced a Spring 2022 North American tour with support from King Buffalo. It marks Uncle Acid’s first run across North America since 2019, when Heavy Consequence caught the band twice — once co-headlining Brooklyn Steel and a second time supporting King Diamond. The UK heavy psych ensemble were supposed to tour US in May/June of last year, dates that were postponed due to the pandemic. Some of those cities and venues have been carried over to the 2022 itinerary. Related Video The spring 2022 trek kicks off March 2nd with the band returning to the aforementioned Brooklyn Steel in New York. The tour then winds its way across the East Coast, Midwest, West Coast, and back, concluding on April 3rd in Boston. Get tickets via Ticketmaster starting December 10...
Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi Returns with New Song “Scent of Dark”: Stream
Toni Iommi has returned with a new signature cologne and song, “Scent of Dark”, his first new rock-oriented music in more than eight years. Iommi teamed with Italian perfumier Xerjoff for the boutique cologne, an unexpected branding endeavor for the legendary Black Sabbath guitarist. Iommi is well aware of what fans might think about his new endorsement. “They’ll think I’ve gone mad,” he told Rolling Stone with a laugh. “It’s something I would’ve never thought of involving myself in. But it’s been nice to be involved in it.” Advertisement Related Video Anything that means new music from Iommi is cool by us. He previously contributed a classical piece for the Birmingham Cathedral in 2017, but otherwise, “Scent of Dark” is Iommi’s first traditionally heavy rock song since Black Sabbath’s 201...
Sunn O))) Announce Live Album Recorded at BBC, Share “Troubled Air”: Stream
Sunn O))) have announced Metta, Benevolence, a live album recorded in 2019 at the BBC Maida Vale studios while the band was on tour in the UK. The imitable drone-metal ensemble was invited on the behest BBC6 host Mary Anne Hobbs. The sessions saw Sunn performing two tracks from the cerebral Pyroclasts album and “Troubled Air” off Life Metal, the latter of which is now available to stream. Darkwave artist Anna von Hausswolff, who was supporting the band’s UK tour leg, sat in on the Pyroclasts pieces, adding soundscapes on a Nord C2D synthesizer as well as vocal accompaniment. Advertisement Related Video The session was tracked in Studio 4 at BBC Maida Vale and broadcast on Samhain — the Gaelic religious festival and celebration beginning the evening of October 31st through November 1st...
YOB Announce 2021-2022 Tour Dates, Unveil Deluxe Reissue of 2011’s Atma
YOB have announced 2021-2022 US and European tour dates. The acclaimed metal band has also unveiled a deluxe reissue of 2011’s Atma, available now digitally and arriving April 8th on vinyl. The upcoming shows will be YOB’s first since the pandemic began, with some being rescheduled dates from their postponed 2020 tour. They’ll start with three Pacific Northwest shows in December of this year before returning to the road on February 20th for a four-night residency at Saint Vitus Bar in Brooklyn, New York. After those concerts, the traveling US leg of the band’s 2022 tour kicks off March 17th in Sacramento, California, and runs through a show on March 25th in Salt Lake City. Fellow stoner-doom act True Widow will support a handful of those shows. Advertisement Related Video A month later, YO...
Bill Ward to Black Sabbath: “Let’s Make Another Album”
Founding Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward has once again expressed interest in making “another album” with his legendary band. In a new interview, Ward opened up about the possibilities of reuniting with the other fouding members of Sabbath: Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Ozzy Osbourne. Ward has previously stated his desire to record one more LP with the original lineup, while Ozzy said in 2019 that he hoped the band can play “one last gig” with Ward — although the singer later insisted he had no interest in performing with Sabbath again. “My biggest contention has been ‘let’s make another album,’” Ward told Metro. “Nothing live necessarily, because I’m looking at what I can realistically do. The way I play the drums, it’s becoming tougher as I get older. I haven’t spoken to the guys ...
In Photos: Psycho Las Vegas 2021 Brings Doom, Sludge, and Metal Merriment to Sin City
After canceling last year’s event due to the pandemic, and a plethora of last-minute lineup changes due to travel restrictions, Psycho Las Vegas seemingly pulled an ace from their sleeve. The festival returned this past weekend for a reworked and revamped 2021 edition that still rivaled any of their previous years. The festivities kicked off on Thursday (August 19th) with the annual Psycho Swim party, despite the cancellation of The Skull (sadly, singer Eric Wagner just passed away from COVID pneumonia). Old Man Gloom, Bongzilla, and Blackwater Holylight had all those who arrived to the festival early in the pool, beers in hand. The festival got off to its official start on Friday, with Twin Temple on the main stage at 1 p.m. COVID protocols were in place throughout the resort, and everyon...
King Woman Share New Song “Boghz” Ahead of Upcoming Album: Stream
King Woman have shared “Boghz,” the final single from their upcoming third album, Celestial Blues, out July 30th. The mysterious track touts soft-loud buildups that create an unsettling vibe. Whispering wind and muted guitar notes give way to crushing chords in the chorus, as singer Kris Esfandiari belts out in terror. King Woman take the classic Sabbathian doom template and sharpen it to an edge. “It’s a tragic story about one ancient soul split in two separate bodies,” Esfandiari explained via a press release. “Only knowing a sick and twisted version of love, one half nearly destroys the other. It’s about being at the mercy of a sadistic person who you have an undeniable psychic bond with.” Advertisement Related Video Such darkly cerebral themes can also be found in previous singles “Mor...
Beyond the Boys’ Club: Kris Esfandiari of King Woman
Beyond the Boys’ Club is a monthly column from journalist and radio host Anne Erickson, focusing on women in the heavy music genres, as they offer their perspectives on the music industry and discuss their personal experiences. Erickson is also a music artist herself, recently releasing the song “Eternal Way” under the moniker Upon Wings. This month’s piece features an interview with Kris Esfandiari of King Woman. King Woman’s new album, Celestial Blues, delves into heavy themes of suffering, spirituality and, ultimately, triumph. The ethereal doom band, led by Kris Esfandiari, releases its sophomore set July 30th via Relapse Records, following up the 2017 debut, Created in the Image of Suffering. Esfandiari grew up in a cult-like religious environment filled with stories of demons and exo...
Black Label Society Announce 2021 US Tour with Obituary and Prong
Black Label Society will be back on the road this fall on a U.S. tour with support from Obituary and Prong. The two-month itinerary kicks off in early October and runs through the end of November. As the pandemic hit in March 2020, Black Label Society were in the midst of a North American tour. The metal veterans were forced to postpone the last 12 shows of the outing, and originally rescheduled the gigs for August of last year. Those dates were eventually nixed, as well, but frontman Zakk Wylde and company have now mapped out an extensive trek that more than makes up for those missed dates. The 43-date tour will launch with an October 1st show in Sacramento, California, and run through a November 28th gig in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Related Video BLS have been working on a proper follow-u...
Bill Ward Would Love to Record a New Black Sabbath Album with the Original Lineup
Founding Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward has said he would “love to” record one more studio album with his former band. Ward parted ways with the group in 2012, prior to Sabbath recording their most recent album, 13, and embarking on their farewell tour. Ward was originally supposed to be aboard for the tour and the album but he departed citing contractual issues. Ozzy Osbourne later alleged that Ward was physically unfit for the tour. Rage Against the Machine’s Brad Wilk performed drums on the album, while Tommy Clufetos played drums on the final tour. It’s been nearly 10 years since Ward’s exit, and now the drummer has floated the idea about making another record with his old band. Speaking with SiriusXM’s Eddie Trunk, Ward — who turns 73 in May — said he definitely wouldn’t be able to e...
Unearthed Song “Slapback” Is Believed to Be Unreleased Dio-Era Black Sabbath Track: Stream
A purportedly unreleased Ronnie James Dio-era Black Sabbath song titled “Slapback” has been uploaded to YouTube. The track was sourced from what appears to be a cassette recording of Black Sabbath’s 1979 “Bel Air” rehearsals for their seminal 1980 album Heaven and Hell. It was uploaded by the estate of longtime Sabbath keyboardist, the late Geoff Nicholls. Nicholls’ stepson and executor of his estate Gary Rees offered some background on the unearthed recording in the video description: “This latest upload from the Geoff Nicholls estate I believe is called ‘Slapback’ from the scrawling on the cassette and the chorus. This is from the same cassette as the ‘Heaven & Hell’ upload on this channel. It doesn’t sound like a typical SABBATH song, if it is them, but it does sound like Ronnie Jam...
