Only Death Is Real

Roadburn is very pleased to announce that Tom Gabriel Warrior, founder of the illustrious Hellhammer and Celtic Frost, has agreed to act as the curator for our festival on Friday, April 16th 2010, and host a special event at Roadburn, called Only Death Is Real.

Tom’s duties as curator include personally selecting the bands that will play on Only Death Is Real, as well as to perform the first major headlining set with his latest incarnation, Triptykon. Tom will be Roadburn’s third curator, following up on David Tibet in 2008 and Neurosis earlier this year, and we would call his election a perfectly natural progression.

Tom Gabriel Warrior: “It is a surprise and an honor to be asked by Roadburn to act as a curator, and I am accepting this extraordinary opportunity with much gratitude and due humility. In my eyes, Roadburn is one of the most courageous and artistic festivals in existence, and its history is, in essence, a list of concerts by groups I deeply admire. It is quite a challenge to follow such footsteps, both as a curator and as a musician. I will try my very best to ensure that the groups I intend to propose to the organizers of Roadburn will be as ravishingly dark, unique, and exciting to the festival’s visitors as they are to me.”

The recently reunited THORR’S HAMMER will be playing Tom Warrior’s Only Death Is Real at Roadburn 2010, set to be held on Friday, April 16th.

Having witnessed some downright incredible events in music this year, the recent Thorr’s Hammer reunion gigs at Birmingham’s own Supersonic Festival and London were among the absolute highlights. For the first time in 15 years, Thorr’s Hammer treated audiences to live renditions of their monolithic, gut-wrenching, black-doom, originally created in the mammoth stoned winter of 1994-1995.

Personally invited by Tom Gabriel Warrior, Thorr’s Hammer, comprised of Stephen O’Malley (Sunn 0))), Guitar), Greg Anderson (Sunn 0))), Guitar), Jamie Sykes (Drums), long time cohort Guy Pinhas (The Obsessed / Goatsnake, Bass) and original vocalist Runhild Gammelsæter, will be playing their first ever show on the European mainland at Tom’s Roadburn curated event, Only Death is Real.

SARKE
“This is a great honor for SARKE, to be invited by Tom to perform at Roadburn is something that took us by black magic surprise. Some of you might know that Tom joined forces with us at our performance at Wacken in August 2009, which is something we will never forget. The respect we have for Tom and his music is neverending.
We’re looking forward to performing at Roadburn, and we will be introducing new songs into the set. To witness Triptykon live will be something to remember as well. See you all there, UGH!” –Sarke & Nocturno Culto, December 2009.

TRINACRIA
Originally a composition by Ivar Bjørnson (Enslaved), Maja S. K. Ratkje and Hild Sofie Tafjord (both from Fe-mail), Trinacria combines the hard hitting sounds of cutting edge, Norwegian extreme metal with contemporary Norwegian noise, originally commissioned by Rikskonsertene for a concert series. This composition turned into a vital and creative project, completed by Grutle Kjellson, Ice Dale (both from Enslaved), Iver Sandøy (Emmerhoff & T.M.B.) and Espen Lien (Slut Machine).

JESU
” Of course, it is an honour for jesu to be personally invited by Tom G. Warrior to perform at his individually curated ‘Only Death Is Real’ event at Roadburn 2010. It goes without saying, that the music of Tom G. Warrior has had an immense impact on the music, I, Justin K Broadrick, have been producing since 1985, in all of my guises, be it Napalm Death in the eighties, Godflesh in the eighties and nineties, and jesu currently…” -J K Broadrick.

BOHREN & DER CLUB OF GORE
“We always admired Tom G. Warrior for the radicalism and the courage displayed in his music, which helped us to broaden our musical horizons and find a musical language of our own. He has been a model  for us to this day and we are very happy to be invited by Tom to become a part of this special event at  this special festival” - Christoph, Bohren & der Club of Gore

Having been described as “the black metal equivalent of the Eraserhead soundtrack”, there is little doubt that Switzerland’s DARKSPACE is one of the most esoteric bands in metal today. Solely on strength of their visionary records and excellent live shows, Darkspace has earned a reputation for innovation and excellence in the music underground. Darkspace’s sound is hallucinatory, their brand of organic black metal induces rapture with pummeling/pulsing bass and guitar work swirling into amorphous, bleak clouds of noise, drone and ambient. Their name and their sound are both a tribute to, and a description of, an endless void of darkness — leaving no question as to the meaning of Darkspace.

EVOKEN
“It’s truly an honor to be invited to play at Tom Gabriel Warrior’s ‘Only Death is Real’ at Roadburn 2010. Tom G Warrior’s playing, as well as his work in Celtic Frost and Hellhammer are not only a staple in the metal world, but one of our main influences and reasons why Evoken exists today. When we started Evoken, never in our dark imaginations would we have thought this day would EVER come. To be invited by our main influence in metal, who all will agree is one of the most well-respected and talented individuals… Tom Gabriel Warrior. We accept this dark gift in complete honor. We shall deliver nothing less than uncompromising, soul-crushing heaviness that Evoken can only bring forth… Be Warned!” -Vince, Evoken.

PAGAN ALTAR
“The call from Tom G Warrior to join him at Roadburn came as a complete and utter surprise to Al and I as we had not the slightest inclination we would be asked. Recognition from one musician to another to us is one of the highest accolades we can think of and so would like to say thanks to Tom for asking us. Pagan Altar as a band are really up for it and looking forward to playing at Tom’s ‘Only Death Is Real’ show and are indeed proud to share a stage with these guys!” -Alan & Terry Jones, Pagan Altar.

VALBORG
“We met Tom and Triptykon bass player Vanja in Switzerland before a Valborg concert and had some really great conversations. So it was indeed a very special honour that we got invited by Tom to play at the Roadburn 2010. In the midst of irrelevance, Tom G. Warrior gave us more confidence to go ahead on the path we chose. We are still fans and he is the master of extreme metal. So, we will slay the world to pieces at the Roadburn Festival to honour his almighty work. Be prepared motherfuckers! Feel the aggression rise” -Christian, Valborg.

WITCHFYNDE

DIVE

Dive is the brainchild of Belgium’s very own Dirk Ivens. Influenced by bands from the German and UK electronic / industrial scene, Dive released its first album in 1990. The album was very primitive, harsh and experimental, with lyrics about hope, death, love and fear, but it hit like 10,000 volts. The debut led to many albums with an evolving sound, which consistently retained Dive’s underground, heavy and radical feel. Dive creates maximum power using a minimum of equipment. Many newcomers to the Electronic Body Music scene have attempted to duplicate Dive’s sound in recent years. Ivens has proven that less is more on stages everywhere.

Tom Gabriel Warrior: “It wasn’t easy to secure Dirk Ivens and Dive for “Only Death Is Real” at Roadburn, and Dive is not a typical group for a generally rock-oriented festival and not a group easily digested. But it was important to me to see Dive’s appearance become a reality. I have been a dedicated follower of Dirk’s music for many years. I respect him greatly for his uncompromising work and extreme minimalism. At times, his output has sounded to me almost as if it was a electronic incarnation of black metal. I am absolutely delighted Dirk will now appear at Roadburn.”

SUMA
“We are truly honored to be invited by Tom to take part in “Only Death Is Real” at Roadburn.  Awesome lineup and proud to be part of it. New  material will be unleashed upon ya’ll from new album “Ashes” – set to
be released in Feb 2010. Expect pure mayhem. Blaze”- Johan, Suma.

LONGDISTANCECALLING
“We were very surprised and happy when Tom called us personally last week to invite us to his “Only Death Is Real” day at 2010´s Roadburn Festival. Tom is a real artist and it feels great to be artistically respected by someone who deserves OUR deepest respect for his art created over the last two and a half decades.
This is our second time at Roadburn (we already played in 2008) and it´s an honour to be on Tom´s wish list for this special and extraordinary event so we are really looking forward to get the chance to witness Triptykon´s first ever live performance while having a great time at Roadburn, meeting a lot of nice and interesting fans and bands and of course to present our latest album “Avoid The Light” to open minded people from all over the world” - Jan Hoffmann, LongDistanceCalling.

SERPENTCULT
“We were speechless, but extremely honoured and humbled when we got the invitation by Tom to perform at the next edition of Roadburn. Celtic Frost and Hellhammer had such an important impact on us that it inspired us to pick up our guitars many years ago. Now we find ourselves being invited to Roadburn, by the very creator of this music himself. We can’t wait to head back to the stages of the 013 venue! Our appearance at the festival will also give us the opportunity to present our new album ‘Raised By Wolves’ to the world” -Fred, Serpentcult.

SHEVER
“Tom always supported us to continue in our chosen musical way -we feel very honored and happy about his invitation to Roadburn 2010, and having the possibility to contribute some evil witch doom to this unique event –a dream came true, and we’re ready to give all we have for this show!” -Nadine, Shever.

NONEUCLID
“We are very honored to be part of this festival, and this special night. I have been into Celtic Frost since I was 13. I had just started playing guitar, and they were my first contact with non-tonal  music – a fact that had far-reaching consequences, since life took me to become a contemporary composer. Celtic Frost’s approach to their lyrics also made a mark on us all; their taking the listener into rotten evil worlds while maintaining a high level of dignity made 90% of metal bands look like embarrassing adolescents in my young eyes, and they set the bar high in the black sonic arts for everyone who  came after.
When V Santura joined them as touring guitarist, that was the biggest thing ever to happen in the music scene of our home town… it seems unreal that now, so many years after, the mighty Tom G. Warrior tells us he’s into our little band. So when The Warrior calls, there can only be one answer from us and that’s ‘yes Sir, with  pleasure’!” -Morean, Noneuclid.