Saturday, April 14th

We at the Roadburn Festival consider Sleep to be among the most important bands influencing today’s thriving stoner / sludge / metal scene. Their vision to combine the powerful riffs of Black Sabbath with the outsider ethics of punk rock turned into an unstoppable amalgamation, one that catapulted them to international attention  within a very short time. Their rapid rise and unquestionable musical significance is a testimony to the fact that they tapped into something that resonates inside virtually every fan of stoner metal today. They truly embody the spirit and power of The Riff.

Formed as a Bay Area punk rock band called Asbestosdeath, the band changed their musical direction and name and debuted as Sleep with their “Volume One” album in 1991. After Justin Marler left the band, the core lineup of Al Cisneros, Matt Pike and Chris Hakius went into the studio to record a demo cassette that they sent to Earache Records. The recording was released in November 1992 (exactly as received by the label) under the name “Sleep’s Holy Mountain” and went on to forever alter the musical  landscape. Countless current bands cite “…Holy Mountain” as a major inspiration, and the unique sound and style of the record can be heard  in many subsequent releases by bands from all over the world.

“Sleep’s Holy Mountain” created such a buzz that major label London Records signed the band. Unfortunately, the label lacked the vision necessary to actually follow through and release the album that Sleep recorded, mostly because it took the not-radio-friendly form of a single song — a 63 minute long ode to weed — called “Dopesmoker.” Sleep returned to the studio and edited the track down to 52 minutes  and retitled it “Jerusalem”, but it was again rejected. London Records shelved the record and dropped the band, leading to their dissolution.

Luckily, the record had a life after death and refused to stay buried. It first saw the light of day as the shortened “Jerusalem” version  by The Music Cartel in 1998 before “Dopesmoker” (at its full 63 minute length) was given a proper release by Tee Pee Records in 2003. “Dopesmoker” stands as one of the towering achievements in recent metal history, a mesmerizing, intoxicating, and incredibly complex song that is still unrivaled in the annals of stoner metal. The band’s breakup, while devastating for fans, turned out to have a silver lining as Matt Pike went on to form High On Fire, a metal juggernaut that has authored five albums to date, and Al Cisneros went on to form OM who have released four albums to date.

After calling it quits in 2009, Warning’s Patrick Walker returns with his new band 40 Watt Sun and we are really pleased to welcome the band for a one-off show on Saturday, 14 April. 40 Watt Sun‘s stunning debut album, The Inside Room, ranks among the very best Roadburn-related albums of 2011, and offers Walker’s distinctive melancholic voice a more prominent role. His soaring and somber pipes bless the album’s burning tracks. 40 Watt Sun‘s emotionally charged, slowcore hybrid of Jesu meets a harder edged Red House Painters put the band in a class of its own.

Playing with passion and a raucous ‘fuck you’ attitude, UK’s power-trio Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell are channelling early 70′s proto-metal played by the likes of Buffalo, Dust and Sir Lord Baltimore. Augmented by Flying V’s, fire-breathing riffery, scorching solos and  outrageous facial hair, ASCS showcase how heavily fuzzed out rock can  still be brutally honest without sounding like classic rock  revivalists. We’re taking about pure, unadulterated fun here, it’s not about what year, or if their heavy rock attitude is trendy or not, ASCS is all about playing from the heart and soul, being exciting and offering escapist entertainment firmly rooted in the here and now.

Bongripper is a four-piece instrumental doom metal band from Chicago. Since 2005, they have self-released six recordings. Known for a deafening and intense live performance, the band thrives on an unrelenting sound that can compete with any of the heaviest metal bands of their genre.

Making their fourth appearance in 5 years at the festival, it looks like Japan’s serial-killer-obsessed seekers of the almighty riff Church of Misery are poised to become the offficial Roadburn house band. All joking aside, Church of Misery were among THE highlights of the previous Roadburn festivals (even the main stage almost proved way to small for them), and Roadburn 2012 will mark their triumphant return, on the main stage again (of course!), together with Sleep and The Obsessed.

Shrouded in mystery, with no biographical information available, Dark Buddha Rising are known only by their musical output. Their latest LP, Abyssolute Transfinite is an immense, sprawling dirge of doom metal and myriad cryptic incantations. Their unrelenting riffs underpin a variety of vocal intonements (choral singing, chants, screams, throat singing), luring the listener into a trance of doom-induced sensory depravation.

Founded in 2009, Norway’s Devil are a return to the heyday of proto-metal. With a stripped down, vintage, melodic sound that recalls the likes of Black Sabbath, Pentagram and a more typical NWOBHM vibe of Witchfinder General, Devil‘s debut full-length,Time to Repent offers up tales of sorcery, evil women, open graves and all manner of good clean family fun with an utter and complete lack of pretense. On stage, Devil don’t attempt any overblown grandeur either, as the band relies instead on their swaggering doom, chuggy guitar riffs and their honest to god, pure garage-metal approach. All hail Devil!

We’re elated to announce a very special one-off show at Roadburn 2012: A Heavy Jam by J Mascis (guitar – Witch / Dinosaur Jr), Mario Rubalcaba (drums – Earthless), Mike Eginton (bass – Earthless) and Graham Clise (guitar – Witch / Lecherous Gaze) on Saturday, April 14th.

This will be one epic jam session for fans of shredding psychedelia. Expect hard rock blues, underpinned by the muscular rhythmic sensibilities of kraut-rock, and then have the lid blasted off with the unbridled energy of  70′s psychedelic guitar rock.

The rock solid foundation laid by drummer Mario Rubalcaba is a jumping off point for guitarists J Mascis, Graham Clise, and bassist Mike Eighton to explore the outer cosmos for consciousness expanding riffs and music-induced psychedelic experiences. Flame retardant clothing is highly recommended!

Named after the last song on the final Godflesh release (Hymns), Jesu quickly got established as one of the seminal post-rock pioneers. Since the release of 2006’s Silver EP, which gained comparisons to My Bloody Valentine or Slowdive, Broadrick’s sound evolved further into pop and indie sounds, while maintaining the claustrophobic sonic density his work is renowned for.

Notorious for their use of massive amplification and their nomadic lifestyle, Jucifer are pioneers of the sludge / doom metal two-piece. Whereas Gazelle Amber Valentine and Edgar Livengood‘s eclectic tracks range from grunge to folk and doom (especially on their albums), Jucifer‘s adrenaline-soaked live-show is usually a harsh display of doom, drone and sludge created with throat-ripping screams, a guitar and a drum kit.

Valentine cranks out riffs simple and as jagged as chainsaw blades while Livengood pounds his kit as if the Grim Reaper is at his heels. Their no-frills, stripped-down approach strongly reflects the same artistic exploration and malevolent energy of contemporaries like Harvey Milk, Eyehategod, Cavity, Floor and Crowbar. In case Jucifer is still one of the best bands you have never heard, do yourself a favor and bask in their sheer brutal heaviness

British proto-stoner rockers Leaf Hound will be making a triumphant and highly anticipated return to Roadburn for the 2012 festival. Led by original vocalist Pete French, Leaf Hound gets a chance to reprise their extraordinary 2006 Roadburn performance, this time playing their seminal Growers of Mushroom LP in its entirety.

One of the legendary heavy 70′s acts from England, and cited as a major influence by many current bands, Leaf Hound are still a powerful live band with their devastating show at Roadburn 2006 providing ample proof of their skills. They went on to release their Unleashed album in 2007 and have been celebrating their 40th anniversary in 2011.

Mars Red Sky‘s self-titled debut ranks amongst the very best releases in the current bumper crop of European heavy, jam-based psychedelia. However, Mars Red Sky eschew jamming into oblivion in favour of quality songs, underpinned by a massive groove and topped off by the sweet, high-pitched croon of guitarist Julian Pras or bassist Jimmy Kinast’s bluesy David Eugene Edwards-style vocals.

Superficially, the band isn’t cutting edge, but it’s Mars Red Sky‘s ability to craft infectious hooks, subdued melodies and the lack of ego masturbation by the individual musicians that sets them apart from their peers, and turn their fuzz-fronted, memorable riff-explorations into a riff-worshippers dream. 

Combining poisonous and massive riffs, dirty beats and crushing low end with huge banks of distorted synths, a touch of psychedelia, plus experimental, ambient soundscapes, UK’s Necro Deathmort has equal passion for electronic and extreme music. This London based duo have released two striking albums offering a new soundtrack to your nightmares, This Beat Is Necrotronic and Music of Bleak Origin — both are disturbing and soothing in equal measure.

If the names of Neurosis, Ulver, Atilla Csihar or Lustmord mean anything to you, then Necro Deathmort deserves to be on your radar as well, as their mix of the subtle and the extreme, the sublime and the physically repellent is just as remarkable as their peers.

Germany’s Necros Christos invoke ancient necromantic death metal rites thick with foreboding and sinister purpose. The band has built a rabid cult following in their 10 years of existence due to their unique blend of catchy old-school, mid-tempo death metal riffs, doomy textures and acoustic interludes.

There is no debating the impact that Wino has had (and continues to have) on the stoner scene, and The Obsessed is the band with which he developed his signature doom songwriting and guitar sound. Formed in Maryland in 1976 as Warhorse, they soon changed their name to The Obsessed. The original four man lineup was pared down to a power trio and they spent several years playing shows and honing their sound, culminating in the release of the Sodden Jackal7″ in1983.

The band then went on hiatus as Wino joined Saint Vitus for a few years in the late ’80s. They reformed in 1990 with Wino joined by a rhythm section of Greg Rogers and Scott Reeder. The new lineup released Lunar Womb before Reeder left to join Kyuss. At that point Guy Pinhas joined as the bass player and the band was signed to Columbia Records and went on to release The Church Within.

The Church Within was Wino’s most critically hailed album. Despite being co-released by Hellhound Records and the major label Columbia Records, the music-buying masses were not ready to embrace doom in 1994 and instead fixated on buying records by rehashed pop-punk bands. Several factors led to The Church Within becoming The Obsessed‘s last full-length album. Despite not becoming a top-seller, the album remains hugely influential.

Wino has appeared at Roadburn in a number of guises, including: Saint Vitus, Shrinebuilder, Spirit Caravan, The Hidden Hand, and his eponymous band, Wino. His distinctive style of guitar playing and his seemingly endless supply of great riffs has earned him a place on the Mount Rushmore of stoner rock, and now we at Roadburn are thrilled to give you the opportunity to experience the band that started the legend.

Combining organic old-school psychedelic rock with mid-tempo black metal, Oranssi Pazuzu craft extremely compelling, totally original music that feels like the late 60′s while sounding like 2011. These  Finn’s carry on their country’s rich tradition of pushing the envelope  of modern metal, and we at Roadburn are extremely happy to have them come to the 2012 festival  for a one-off show.

Pelican is a monument to the RIFF. A glorious, majestic Riff that crashes down upon you in its relentless energy. Seeking, probing, moving, changing, resolving and reforming. A totemic monolith of electric guitar melody overlayed with countermelody, feinting and ducking the rhythm one moment and embracing it in the next… a force as undeniable as a flash flood… building and churning and frothing into a frenzy. To try and deny this energy is not just futile, it is foolish. You must meet this force with force, head on, squared up, and fully prepared to be taken wherever Pelican decides to take you.

Named after a demon and fronted by the bewitching Rosalie Cunningham, Purson is the latest psychedelic proto-doom band with a mesmerizing female vocalist to cast a spell over everyone who hears them.

With elements of ’70s progressive and heavy rock, Purson is in league with Blood Ceremony and Jex Thoth, conjuring visions of Hammer horror and pagan rituals. What sets them apart are the incredibly catchy pop-like
arrangements inspired by bassist Ed Turner and Cunningham‘s borderline obsessive love of the Beatles. It only took a couple of songs on Soundcloud / Facebook to capture the attention of illustrious Rise Above Records (a 7″ and a full-length are in the works) and Darkthrone’s Fenriz, one of metal’s favorite arbiters of taste, made them band of the week!

We at Roadburn were instant converts, too, spinning those four tracks over and over again, only to wake up screaming, “Must. Have. Purson. NOW!” We are certain that by the time Purson takes the stage at Roadburn 2012 on Saturday, April 14th all of you will be under their sweetly demonic spell, too. Consider yourself warned!

Ever wondered what would happen if you took your favorite Thin Lizzy, Iron Maiden and Motorhead albums, threw ‘em into the bay, dried ‘em over a bonfire and played ‘em backwards? Listen to Oakland’s Saviours and find out! Go ahead and make that appointment with the chiropractor for the following Monday: their live show will send you into a total headbanging frenzy!

Brooklyn’s Tombs bears the mark of total devastation. On the latest album, Path of Totality, Tombs not only evoke the classic sound and feel of black metal in its finest hour they also explore their disparate UK post-punk influences. And keep things incredibly listenable. The band has marched ahead boldly with the sound of impending doom since their inception and Path is endowed with all of the primordial intensity that is a hallmark of the aforementioned genres. However, Tombs reach far beyond the ritual sounds of the past with an abundance of tonal variation. The gut-wrenching vocals and furious blastbeasts are interwoven with a dark and brooding atmospheric moodiness, making Tombs one of the finest heavy bands in the world.

Having done time with Hank Williams III not only as a guitar tech and opening act but also on Hank III’s version of his song ‘Working Man’,  Bob Wayne is the real deal. His fans include Roadburn stalwart Scott Kelly and Lamb of God’s Randy Blythe. A tireless road warrior, Wayne has toured with all sorts of metal and sludge bands. His music may be pure country, but lyrically speaking his songs share the kind of unvarnished view on life expressed by bands more readily associated with Roadburn.

The Wounded Kings return to Roadburn Festival.  A new era of apocalyptic doom approaches!  Featuring the dark and chilling vocals of Sharie Neyland along with Alex Kearney (guitar), Myke Heath (Drums), Jim Willumsen (Bass) and founder member Steve Mills (Guitar).

Despite, or because of the hardships the Kings have endured over the last 12 months their determination and unique vision for heavy music remains as strong as ever. This new phase in the Kings‘ development undulates with vintage amplification, the riffs seething with menace and danger  – things fans have come to love and expect! It is a journey to ghostly worlds – suffocating and claustrophobic – where ancient terrors slowly seep into the blood stream. Roadburn will be grateful to get out alive with its soul and sanity intact – just as it should be!