Saint Vitus – Tombstones Live At Little Devil, Tilburg, NL


Sometimes rare gigs come along you just need to attend f you can. Legendary American Doom metal band Saint Vitus playing the tiny, 150 person capacity Little Devil bar, a venue with its own cult status and following, was just something I knew would be special. And having the Norwegian heavy fuzz-groovers Tombstones join them, is just a pure bonus. On a nice, warm sunny Saturday may 6th, I go find some refuge from the sun and cheer in the cold desolate tones of Doom!Continue reading


Incubate December Part II: Various Venues


Belphegor, by Susanne A. Maathuis Photography

Incubate, long a mammoth 10-day bonanza, cut up this year’s fest into four smaller, weekend snippets, after deep reorganizations and troubles last year. Because of the bus time of year, and the sheer volume and spread of bands and venues Incubate offer, Ghost Cult decided to focus mainly on its metal program. Here is how we wound down day two!

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Incubate December Part I: Various Venues


The 10th and 11th of December saw the third weekend of Incubate 2016. Incubate is a festival with a very broad scope, where music, film, documentary, and art are brought together in Tilburg and spread over several venues. This Sunday, one of the ten venues, the Dudok, was curated by the folk from the Little Devil, Tilburg’s heavy metal beer bar and concert venue, under the name LittleDevilXL.

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Desertfest Belgium Part II: Live At Trix, Antwerp


Uncle Acid And The Deadbeats, by Susanne A. Maathuis Photography

When it comes to after parties Desertfest is certainly no Roadburn, where shenanigans are abound after the bands finish, but the brilliant cocktail bar outside, and rum n coke’s so strong you can see right through them in the venue itself, do get the party started, even if it takes a while. And by three in the morning, as venue security tries to sweep us out the door, most want to linger for a bit more dancing.

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Desertfest Belgium Part I: Live At Trix, Antwerp


Desertfest is an ever-expanding, sprawling franchise festival, having pushed it’s tentacles out from London to Berlin, Antwerp and even Athens. As Ghost Cult did last year, we went to Desertfest Antwerp again, about the only October festival in the genre of stoner and doom music. Last year proved a great party and this time the line-up is salivatingly good, so we expected no less than a wonderful party of fuzz, swamp and bass, with a side order of psychedelia.Continue reading


Runeology – Einar Selvik Of Wardruna Interviewed


Wardruna, by Susanne A. Maathuis Photography

Wardruna, by Susanne A. Maathuis Photography

 

In light of their most recent album, Runaljod – Ragnarok, Wardruna went on a European tour, playing two sold-out shows at Tivoli Vreedenburg in Utrecht, the Netherlands. Ghost Cult journalists Suzanne A. Maathuis and Lorraine Lysen went to Utrecht on Sunday the 30th of November to find out more about the latest album and some of the academic background of the project from Einar Selvik of Wardruna. He is also participating in this weekend’s New York By Norse event in partnership with Enslaved’s 25th year celebration. Einar talked with us about songwriting, the Rune Trilogy, Norse history and lore, the next Wardruna album, and much more.Continue reading


Wardruna – Live At Tivoli Vreedenburg, NL


Wardruna, by Susanne A. Maathuis Photography

Wardruna, by Susanne A. Maathuis Photography

 

Wardruna recently went on tour to promote their latest album, Ragnarok (By Norse), the last in the Runaljod trilogy. After selling out the seated hall for Tuesday night, an extra show was planned for Saturday night in one of the standing venues of the building. Having sold out this evening as well, the band was greeted warmly by over a thousand enthusiasts. Continue reading


Wormlust – Mannveira And The New Breed Of Icelandic Black Metal


Wormlust, by Susanne A. Maathuis Photography

Wormlust, by Susanne A. Maathuis Photography

 

The past few years the hottest ticket in Black Metal has been anything out of Iceland. Starting with Svarti Daudi, followed by Sinmara and Misthyrming, these guys from the sparsely populated island in the near The Arctic Ocean are shaking the world wherever they go. The people involved in these bands have a pretty special take on black metal: having been isolated as long as they are they’re not as concerned with who they want to sound like or who they know, but find their own way through expressing the misery of every day life.Continue reading


Open-Minded: Dimitri Vossen of Desertfest Antwerp


YOB Susanne A. Maathuis Photography

YOB Susanne A. Maathuis Photography

Desertfest Antwerp takes place this weekend in Belgium, at the legendary Trix Club. Named for the distinct cult style of California’s Palm Desert style of rock, doom, and psychedelic influences, pioneered in the 90s by bands like Kyuss, Acid King, Fu Manchu, Goatsnake, Monster Magnet, 60 Watt Shaman and more. The fest itself and its related other events represent the best in underground culture, with music ranging from stoner rock, doom, indie bands, and other styles to please fans of discerning taste. Ghost Cult’s Susanne A. Maathuis, who is covering the fest this weekend for us had some questions for Dimitri Vossen – one of the organizers of the fest. Continue reading


Desertfest Antwerp 2016 Preview


desertfest-belgium-2016-poster-red-fang-ghostcultmag

The Desertfest franchise is a well-known concept throughout the heavy stoner scene in Europe, having started in London and spread to other major cities like Berlin, Athens, and the last two years to Antwerp in Belgium as well. This year the line-up is incredible, and even the sad loss of Graveyard as a headliner can’t stop the momentum this fest will have. Continue reading