... Autumn DOOM QUIZ pt1 with ALUNAH, BLACK CAPRICORN, DRAGONAUTA, PEACEMAKER, QUEEN ELEPHANTINE, etc...

Autumn Doom Quiz – pt.I (by Aleks Evdokimov)

There are too many good bands around, and it’s totally impossible to find enough time for normal review or interview with all of them, and sometimes it’s too boring just to share band’s news as it is. So you already know this method: we take 5 questions and ask some bands to answer.

Two questions about actual deeds:

1. What is the band’s state at the moment? What kind of sinister affairs do band plans to perform for autumn and following months?

2. How did listeners and critics meet band’s last album?

Two next questions are just for fun… Or so I did think:

3. "Paranoid" of Black Sabbath is an iconic song, what in this Earth can turn you paranoid?

4. Who was your childhood hero? What kind of dude did you want to become?

And the last question deals with another Black Sabbath killer-song:

5. Last TV-news reminds me about it – this question is about "War Pigs". What is your opinion about conflict around Syria? Do you see any reasons to justify military intervention of one country in affairs of another country?

Our quiz is opened by pagan and charming Alunah, occult Black Capricorn and cryptic Dragonauta, exalted Ennui and dirty Nahrayan, straightforward and tough Peacemaker, ritualistic Queen Elephantine, cold’n’bold Station Dysthymia and most subtle and crushing Subterranean Disposition. Doom is upon us. As always.

Alunah (UK, doom stoner)

Sophie Day (vocals, guitars)

1. We're busy writing for the 3rd album and doing as many gigs as possible in-between. We have a new bassist Dan, who has already played a few gigs with us and is getting stuck into writing new material with us. The rest of the year sees us recording the new material, and play lost of gigs including ones with the likes of Jex Thoth, GOLD (ex - The Devil's Blood) and Samsara Blues Experiment. We'll also be playing Hard Rock Hell Festival with Black Star Riders (ex - Thin Lizzy), Crazy World of Arthur Brown, Crucified Barbara, Gentleman's Pistols, Black Spiders and loads more.

2. "White Hoarhound" did better than anyone of us thought it would do. We didn't set out to impress anyone with it, nor did we try to force a particular style with it. We wrote the songs that we wanted to hear and play, and it paid off. 99% of the reviews were amazingly positive, we toured it around Europe for 2 weeks and the response from people blew us away. Initially it was released on CD via PsycheDOOMelic Records, and then it attracted the attention of Napalm Records who re-released it on limited edition 12" vinyl. We're very proud of the album, and even more so of the new material we are now writing.

3. Silly things make me paranoid... knowing there's a fat spider in the room, the dog looking up at the ceiling as if there's an apparition that only she can see, walking alone at night, and looking out from the stage at whispering and laughing faces hahaha

4. I didn't really have a childhood hero, I just loved my pop bands. I'm not ashamed to say it either, because I've always loved music regardless of genre! I played musical instruments as a child, I was always in orchestras and I wanted to do it full time... either that or a designer/artist and now I do both so i'm pretty lucky! 

5. I'm not a very political person and am probably not the best informed about these matters. However, I hate the idea of war and of innocent people being killed for reasons that a lot of those involved probably don't even understand. I am glad that the UK is not going to intervene, but I hope that whatever happens helps to prevent the loss of anymore life. On a similar note, I visited Israel a few years ago, and some of the beautiful and awe-inspiring areas I visited have now been destroyed due to conflict. It just makes me so sad that the world is losing these areas of historical and cultural importance, as well as people losing their livelihoods and (in some cases) lives. 

https://www.facebook.com/alunah.doom

http://www.alunah.co.uk/

http://alunah.bandcamp.com/

Black Capricorn (Italy, psychedelic doom)

Fabrizio (guitars, vocals), Rachela (drums) and Virginia (bass)

1. We are working on our 3rd album that will come out we don't know when but for sure in 2014. This autumn we go to see what happen in the island of Malta during the Malta Doom Metal Festival and we play together several good bands coming from around Europe. We also are guest opener for Doom Olver Karalis here in Sardinia.

2. In general we had positive feedback both from listeners and critics. This is pure energy to grow and make something better for the new album.

3. Great song! There are several stuff that turn us paranoid to name a few: dwarf, the message "big brother is watching you" is the strongest paranoid stuff ahah

4. Rachela heroes: Bud Spencer and Terence Hill.

Fabrizio: Ataru Moroboshi.

Virginia:...... zZz

5. About Syria and other location that are in the same situation is very hard to say. Each parts involved have the truth in their hands and try to preveal each others.

We say that there is no limit to human stupidity, and all the Leaders are cowards becuae they hidden the real puropse to attck behind the peace flag or the right to defend theirselves from aggressors!

https://www.facebook.com/BlackCapricorn666

http://blackcapricorn666.blogspot.ru/

Dragonauta (Argentina, psychedelic doom stoner)

Alejandro Ghoulmez (guitars)

*Photo by Mariano Rodriguez Alvarez

1. We have just released a new album Omega Pentagram, recorded in 8 inch tape like the old days, and we are doing bigger and better gigs in Buenos Aires. Also we are planing to record some new songs next december with Billy Anderson.

2. Pretty good and outstanding. I have read some comparisons to High on Fire, but the thing is we do not listen to them very much. We are into voivod, enslaved or mercyful fate.

3. What in this Earth can turn me paranoid? Airports.

4. Brian May, Ace Frehley Julian Cope and Alice Cooper... forward-thinking motherfuckers. I did not wanted to become a music rock and roll o or metal writer, I just wanted to play more and record more and more. I wanted to become what I am trying to become: a happy forward-thinking motherfucker.

5. I don´t think there is ANY reason to "military do" anything in this planet and universe.

             

https://www.facebook.com/pages/dragonauta/61921276387

http://dragonauta.bandcamp.com/

Ennui (Georgia, funeral doom)

David Unsaved (guitars, vocals, keyboards) and Sergei Shengelia (bass, drums, guitars, keyboards)

1. The situation in the band is stable. We've just finished working on our second album. We've brought every single detail to perfection through the last six months and now the album is ready to be released, the only thing left is the cover design and the album will be presented to our audience pretty soon. Actually, these are our sinister plans for the autumn. As for the subsequent months - we are discussing certain plans of recording split albums, however it is still too early to talk about those plans for the moment.

2. Our latest, or more precisely, the debut album "Mze Ukunisa" that was issued on October 30, 2012, was received surprisingly well by critics and the metal audience. We didn't really expect such positive comments and reviews. We've still been receiving mails and messages with positive remarks and warm wishes towards our band. We are confident that the second album will be received just as well, as the first one.

3. Absolutely nothing, as I'm already a paranoid for the long time. I'm far more concerned with the things that can bring me out of my paranoid state of mind.

4. Frankly, I had a lot of childhood heroes, and all of them were rock musicians who drove me crazy. Accordingly, I always dreamt of being into rock music, wanted to play guitar and sing in a band... I don't know how close I reached to my dream, but I keep trying.

5. David: Speaking honestly, I'm far from politics. I think that my opinion won't change anything in this world, so I'd rather abstain from answering to this complex political question.

Sergei: "The current geopolitical situation in the world is so tense, that one more armed conflict can serve as a trigger to massive unreast in the Middle East and possibly turn into a global interconfessional conflict. It is still yet unclear what role will Russia play in that obscure conflict. So, I think the United States should give one more chance to a peace and start a military intervention in Syria only in a case if Assad launches an offensive using a mass destruction weapon against the civil population once again."

https://www.facebook.com/bandEnnui

http://ennui-funeral.bandcamp.com/

http://vk.com/club42295047

Nahrayan (Spain, sludge death doom)

Miguel Fernández  (drums)

1. Well, Nahrayan is not a typical band. We were active with a regular line up since 2,000 to 2,006, and we returned as a two members band in 2,012. And now we are “undead”. We are more dedicated to our another projects, especially we are working hard on Hela, a doom band with female vocals. We released our first album in June this year and we are working in a mini tour in Spain and in new songs to release a split in 2,014. Also we have another projects active.  I´m (Miguel) gonna record the first album of a doom metal band in which  I´m working and together Julian and me we´re gonna start soon with Quebranto, a new band that will be the dark side of Nahrayan, without light, only the darkness that Nahrayan has. After that, maybe in the future we will gonna start to work again in new Nahrayan songs.

2. The beginning of the end – the end of the beginning was one of the best metal album here in Spain the last year, of that´s what listeners and critics said. We only receive a couple of bad reviews, but the rest were excellent, really. We are really proud of that album ,we worked really hard on it and we did it from our heart, and the listeners and critics, the most of them, understood and felt that. And the prize was appear in a lot of lists, the typical lists of the end of the year, “the best of...”

After that, this year we upload in the anniversary of the release, a new instrumental version on bandcamp, that everyone could download for free.

3. We hate lies and hypocrisy, you know...that´s a typical answer, but it is true, but what we hate the most is the people without determination. Practice what you preach, if you say something, do it! Especially in bands, if you don´t have this determination I´m talking I will start to be a paranoid.
And now, more seriously talking...in Spain we are living a hard situation. We have one on the worst politic class in the world, all corrupted, all liars, there´s no money, no jobs...the situation is really hard for a lot of people and that situation makes us feel sad, we feel rage and hate. That not will turn us paranoid, maybe will turn us murderers...or victims...

4. I have no heroes. Maybe fiction heroes, from comics or cartoons. Fictional heroes who showed me the importance of friendship, loyalty or honor. Lost values in this time of corruption, lies and wars.

I want to become what I am. A guy that loves music, and never will betray his family, true friends and values.

5. In the last year or so, I was trying not to see tv news. I hate it. When I see news, most of the time I want to cry. What syrian people is living is a fucking hell. War is the biggest shit in this fucking world, and is always the same shit, innocent people dying because of the interests of politicians and religious people. Fuck all of them, Fuck politics, fuck religion and fuck money and oil. And fuck USA government. Why they are always involved in wars?? I mean, I obviously don´t like what I see in Syria, children dying and all that shit, but man...nobody wants a war, and USA are the first country to say, hey, we must send the army there!
Fuck this world, seriously. If we kill every single politic, we erase all religions and we torture business man, the world would a better place.

https://www.facebook.com/nahrayan

http://nahrayan.bandcamp.com/

Peacemaker (UK, doom metal)

Rich Maw (drums)

1. The band has not been that active recently; just rehearsing a little- we have four tracks written and ready to record for an EP. Hopefully this will be done over the Autumn and we can get it out there for next year at some point.

2. We were surprised and pleased with the reaction to our album "Cult .45" We had great and positive reviews from everybody- critics and fans. Our thanks go out to anybody who bought or even stole the record and anyone who reviewed it. Cheers!

3. I cannot speak collectively for the band, but certainly what would make me paranoid is a difficult question to answer. I would have to say probably the constant fear of death- it may be just around the corner!

4. Childhood hero? The Hulk and Spiderman. Becoming a superhero never happened, sadly, but from age 11 musicians were my heroes. I am glad to say that I almost became a musician- but settled for being a drummer (!).

5. I am just not qualified to answer this. Our front man, Al will have a more informed perspective on this as he has family roots in Syria. On a general political level, a government can choose inaction and not get involved or it can be interventionist and step in. Either option can be correct if done for the right reasons. Unfortunately, government and politicians are inherently corrupt and self serving, so any actions taken will be in their best interests and therefore flawed. I hope these answers are satisfactory! Hail! Rich, on behalf of Peacemaker

https://www.facebook.com/peacemakerdoom

http://peacemakerdoom.bandcamp.com/

Queen Elephantine (USA, psychedelic doom)

Indrayudh Shome

1. We have just released our fourth album Scarab a few months back and are still working on getting the word out. We have a few shows going on: just played an acoustic/fusion set at a cultural festival in Rhode Island, playing an experimental festival next week in New York, and then doing a little tour with It’s Not Night: It’s Space. Also playing with Blaak Heat Shujaa in November, which I am excited about, as their new material seems pretty great.

2. So far we have gotten a pretty positive response to Scarab. Many of our dedicated listeners over the years are saying this is our best yet, so that means the most. It is definitely our most deliberate and least improvised album, as far as a band coming together to really write and rehearse every moment.

3. The only thing which really gets me paranoid at times is that I don’t have much money, and while most of the time this doesn’t bother me, but if my parents get sick, or I get sick, it is my responsibility to take care of that, and we don’t have any backup.

4. Originally probably Batman. Then in my teen years onwards, people like William S. Burroughs, LaMonte Young. But I must be careful in having so many bitter, angsty role-models. I hope I can dedicate myself as fully as they do, but I also hope to understand the universe and be content with life, maybe as many Indian Classical musicians, like Bismillah Khan and Bhimsen Joshi, have really managed to play the deepest, most mournful music and still live in a state of spiritual bliss.

5. Man, of course this is a tough one. On the one hand, sometimes, sure. It makes sense and is heroic. So if the USA really meant what they said, and if their track record could back it up, maybe I would support it. But they’re lying. Even if they’re telling the truth, they have given us too many reasons to never believe them. They have a horrible record for being liars, having a lot of vested interests, hardly helping anything, and if anything, creating a much deeper problem. It’s hard to ignore the fact that most of the US’s last attacks in this vain have been against groups that the US itself has supported and armed. Truly War Pigs.

         

https://www.facebook.com/queenelephantine

http://queenelephantine.bandcamp.com/

Station Dysthymia (Russia, funeral doom)

Andrei (vocals/bass)

1. Only half the band is in Novosibirsk at this moment, so for now it’s all about writing new stuff to take a hack at during rehearsals that will resume in early 2014. Really hope to raise enough money for the next album’s budget, as well some equipment upgrades.

All of this in the most sinister fashion, of course.

2. Pretty damn well! Got some exposure in Metalsucks, MetalLibrary, Terrorizer and Noisey, to mention the major outlets. Most do say our new album is not an easy listen; that it is hard to get into. Just as planned! 

3. Never been of the paranoid sort. No sense to explain as conspiracy what you can explain as good old stupidity, you know? I do have obsessive thoughts – I feel compelled to explore every possible outcome of whatever I’m dealing with, which might seem as paranoia to other people. Fact is, I just have to be thinking about something, whatever - otherwise I default to inevitability of death, existential dread and Weltschmerz. Fortunately, there’s a whole lot of stuff to distract me from that. 

4. Nikola fucking Tesla, man. The dude who singlehandedly invented the XX century. His genius and focus is an outstanding example of thought shaping reality. Many liberal arts majors are trying to do the same by applying post-modernist thought to actual science, and fail miserably.

Also, fuck Edison.

5. It’s naïve to assume a military intervention is anything else than “protection of our interests abroad”. You might be for or against the Syrian government, but you can’t believe in justice being the intention behind other nations’ posturing on the international arena. There’s one loser in this war, and that’s the people of Syria, whatever the outcome. It’s not “war just for fun”, it’s unadulterated war profiteering.

https://www.facebook.com/StationDysthymia

http://stationdysthymia.bandcamp.com/

http://vk.com/pohoronnyrock

Subterranean Disposition (Australia, death doom)

Terry Vainoras (all instruments and vocals)

1. Being a solo project that plays live with guest musicians infrequently, things have been quiet after the release of the debut album late last year and then an Australian tour earlier this year. However there is new music on the near horizon, two new Subterranean Disposition recordings will be released exclusively on our label's -  (Hypnotic Dirge Records) - 2013 label compilation in the coming months...

The first is a demo track taken from the sophomore album "Soundtracks for the Landscapes of failure " which will be recorded and released in 2014. The second track is a Doom Death cover version of a Madonna song!! Make no mistake, this version has a Massive Doom feel throughout, if you did not know of the song it would mistaken for an S.D original!!

2. Our debut self titled album was received very well from critics and fans alike, I feel like most reviewers and also from fans feedback that people understood and enjoyed where I was attempting to expand upon a tried, tested and true sound.

3. A sure fire way straight to paranoia for me personally would be the intake of a large quantity of weed in a short amount of time!! Hence the reason why I do not indulge anymore :)

4. When I was growing up too things really spoke to me: skateboarding and music. My Hero's were the ones who had a style all their own that was instantly recognizable... I guess what I wanted to do with my life was express myself through these mediums and as my idols did, put my own voice and character into what I was doing.

5. I don't normally address political issues, all I can really say is military intervention is always portrayed in the media as a defensive motive, where in most cases it is global bullying by aggressors clothed as victims with a hidden motive of wealth and/or control.

https://www.facebook.com/SubterraneanDisposition

http://hypnoticdirgerecords.bandcamp.com/album/self-titled

... HEAVY DAYS IN DOOMTOWN II -Copenhagen, May 2013- : LIVE REPORT !!!

DAY 1 : Freshly arrived in Copenhagen, after a quick stop at the hostel with the almighty Mikael Olofsson and a pretty long time finding Christiania for some good weed, here we are -just in time for the beginning of HIGH PRIEST OF SATURN. Stengade is a really nice venue, a bit smaller than what I'd thought but perfect for this 1st night's round-up and the performance of this hypnotic Stoner/Doom band (their 1st outside Norway).

Vocals by Merrethe are beautifully ethereal and Martin Severtse prooves right-away that he'll be one of the best composers of the festival and it'll be more than a simple bonus to see him with his other band RESONAUT on the last day, also guitarist and compositor he sings too in this one and it sounds more classical-like Stoner/Sludge  but confirms too his taste for psyched-out sounds... HIGH PRIEST OF SATURN  is definitely more Doom and Heavy Rock oriented and their present set is already a highlight of the fest which starts awesomely ... I guess the guy on organ was here the same than the one playing on the CD, so maybe the band is now a steady quatuor, this organ brings really dominating 70's vibes and makes the overall atmosphere faithful to their brillant debut which is integrally played for everyone's greatest pleasure, along with a Pink Floyd cover ("Simple Life") !

                                                

HUATA : I had been half convinced by the performance of french droning wizards of Doom at last year's Roadburn, a bit hesitant and not as cohesive as tonight that's for sure. But a rich year for the band has passed in between and the guys are a lot more stronger and confident , being now a steady line-up boosted by evocative praise from a great part of the underground and it looks like tonight quite many people are waiting for their peformance which they won't regret any second !!!

The introduction to their fuzz ritual ceremony "An Alarc'h" is sung in breton by Ronan, this sounds awesome - like sacred words, invoking the gathering of all disciples. Everyone's is perfectly tuned, serene and concentrated and Ronan 's voice reaches at several times stunning peaks of dramatic and painful screams. Both songs from "The Atavist of Mann" coming after are cleverly coupled and make the first part of the gig very energic and captivating.
"The Solar Works" is an unreleased song which is for the first time played here in Copenhagen, quite logical considering that it was originally planed to appear on the compilation album of the festival which sadly  didn't finally saw the light of day ! HUATA will now release this song on a stricly limited to 100 copies 3"" CD (homemade) and this will be only available on their forthcoming tour later this month (watch out for all dates infos on their FB)... This song is a perfect bridge to the linked duo "The Retaliator" / "Hercolobus" which (for those who don't have heard it yet) is the integrality of HUATA's side on the split album with their dutch buddies BITCHO... And, under a lot of subjuguated eyes, here is revealed the new dimension that the breton band has now taken, a lot more personnal in everything should i say ! more droning, menacing and hammering, more spacey, tight and audacious too !!! The atmosphere is almost trance-inducing and the band definitely wins everybody's attention until the very last notes of a really memorable set. Hats off guys \m/

On first floor, there's some arts and merchandise, also a large place with good seats where all kind of smoking is allowed, which is cool because it's a bit cold outside to tell the truth, I feel some degrees missing in the north !

HEXVESSEL are definitely not my cup of tea and the scene is certainly too small for such a dense collective of sounds, I listen a part of it and still feel sorry for them to see that a good part of the audience is leaving little by little the place before the end, a bit like what happened to HUATA last year at Roadburn, for different reasons though but the truth of the day is not obviously the same on tomorrow.

DAY 2  starts with TONER LOW , the dutch trio is hunger of playing live (after a long time of inactivity) and full of positive vibes to present their new album "III" through a killer set filled with some of the heaviest psyched-out Stoner/Doom around ! This new album is a must-have.

ALUNAH will be a very special moment, there's a wide variety of heavy sounds displayed during these 4 days but none  like this full hour of tasty UK Doom... The easiness of Dave Day on guitar is very impressive, the guy is majestic in its playing and attitude, damn crushing and so serene at the same time... Soph doesn't count her efforts and looks pretty excited, maybe the flow and tone of her vocals could be more ultimately accurated on stage but she's a great frontwoman and the setlist is just fantastic with five songs of "White Hoarhound" and two from the "Call of Avernus" debut album and ... "Oak Ritual" is one of the best songs I'll hear in the week-end, mighty doom riffs with earthy psychedelic soundscapes and to end on the crushing pagan Doom of "Belial's Fjord" was awesome,  a very very good set !

Next hour will be necessary to eat something and all I can say is that the food for sale is pretty good, that veg hamburger was a 1st try for me but won't remain the only one in the following days... My diabete deplores the absence of light sodas (not on the 1st day's place) and just normal bottle of waters but I'll be more organized later and must admit I feel so well that I'm lazy to cross the street and buy something at the close supermarket...

It's so nice to meet Sarah MsSabbath Eriksonn, Michael Strandell, Kees de Vries, Thomas Iommi, Abbe Loud, also get to know some cool new faces (special mention to Melinda and Niklas) and really a memorable blast to share those great moments with especially my friends of HUATA, still present - until they leave by sunday morning - like a lot of bands who stay 2 - 3 or 4 days, enjoying this awesome festival as much as they can... great discussions, topless weed, cocktails, laughs, rabbit red-eyes, HIGH and LOW moments, fuckin HEAVY sounds... we all enjoy our time here and are definitely in a very special dimension !

Already 20:00, let's find a decent place (at the extreme right of the scene) for the ceremonial set of SATURNALIA TEMPLE, just nearby Mikael Oloffson who carefully takes care of encens for the band which subtly enhance the magic of the moments to come... I regret to not have more carefully listen their stuff before but can still make the title track of the album "Aion of Drakon" my peak of the gig - as this is the only song I admit to really know ! The hypnotic and ritualistic vibes are tightly delivered through fuzzy and ultra heavy - from bizarre to sinister - riffage blended with groovy wah-wah guitars.

Of course Tommie (guit/voc) catches the attention, including with his unique druggy-effected vocals, but his two buddies are not on rest at all, infectious and pulsating, definitely those swedes really overcome themselves ! 

In the end I reckon I'm just a wimp not to have given more attention to S.T. before (despite the numerous incentive comments of Mikael), this band rips and obviously even more if your really into the occult ;) which is not my case at all but there's a real identity richly layered which deserves a different and deeper than usual approach to their sound.

Just a few minutes to come back quickly at the main stage for PROCESSION... The hall is already densely packed so I decide to watch this one from the balcony which is a nice way to get to see differently a gig.

The originally chilean but now swedish-based band is probably the most METAL band from the whole line-up of the fest and it's a kind of fresh air which embrace the whole audience; this is exactly the kind of band that remind -if necessary- that about 90% of the people present are before anything else composed of Metallers !!! the band is perfectly cohesive and Felipe embraces the frontman costume with just enough charism and sense of humor to get the sympathy of everyone at each of his intervention, it's not that he's extremly talkative but he often places a few good words and that's a good change among all those stoned bands who seriously lack of communicative words with their fans during their show !!!

The guys have freshly released their new album and wide-eyed, we can now delight of awesome Epic Doom with  "To Reap Heavens Apart" or  "Conjurer", maliciously, the setlist is also composed of what we can already  consider as old classics from the band like "Raven of Disease", "Like a Plague Upon the Earth" or "Destroyers of the Faith"... This was the 1st time I saw Procession on stage and I'm already impatient to see them next month again at Hellfest :)

CONAN was next on this stage, lots of people were looking after this show, and as it seems a kind of trademark from them - the sound is immensely loud and hammering. Vocals are punishing and the atmosphere truly agonizing, I quickly decide to go outside, soon joined one by one by haggard buddies ! 

Next playing BELZEBONG  will be far more accessible, hahaha ! Still raw and filthy with nice southern hints,  but more musical and diversified than many others from their category, the polish dudes prove to have a very good experience of the scene and not just weedy sounds (and smokes) to share with their fans but also a sick communicative energy !

SAMOTHRACE was another of those unexpected jewels that the organization managed to propose for the Heavy Days, their 1st gig ever in Europe (and the 1st of their tour) under the sign of "Reverence to Stone" logically played in its entirety with its two epic songs "A Horse of Our Own" and "When We Emerged", while  I guess two slightly shorter songs from "Life's Trade" complete the set.

The sound is collosal, nicely balanced, and the extremly heavy style of the band crushes my last neurons surviving from this memorable day ! The ambient and so peaceful parts are more or less developed according to the songs, they bring a kind of (uncertain) relief and push the band further the classical (Post) doom melodic soundscapes. The scene is well occupied with Spinks on the left, Desmond (bass) in the middle and Castagna on the right - rather discreet but she's not in rest for some sick riffs !  Spinks sings a bit like Brent Anderson from Order of the Owl (ex Sourvein), stooping (and even almost seated on a song) to get the most tortured vocals, rough and hopeless, those roars can freeze your blood. The music of SAMOTHRACE is mournful, yet dynamic and captivating, and everything in this gig - from the music of course, to the band's attitude and lights (not always the case during the week-end to say the truth) was a real purposeful performance, thanx guys !

Watch VIDEO of DAY 02 : here

DAY 3 starts for me with DANAVA on the main stage, a difficult set from the beginning with technical problems but the nasty US Heavy Rockers finally start and little by little, with speeded-up versions of songs from "Hemisphere of Shadows", everybody get into it... until the soundboard fucked-up everything ! Just 3 songs and after about 15 minutes of interruption, it's with great sadness that I consider their appearance at the fest closed...   But it's with immense anger that I'll learn that they played about half an hour later in the Dödsmakinen (2nd stage) while quite many people were not aware of it ! a serious mistake in the communication of the orga team ... Oh well, luckily I had already seen Danava at Roadburn last year !

PAGAN ALTAR are next band for me on the main stage and it'll be easily my highlight of this saturday, the setlist is just perfect : "Pagan Altar", "Judgement of the Dead", "Cry of the Banshee", "Walking in the Dark", "The Rising of the Dark Lord", "The Aftermath"... Terry Jones voice is great, yet it could have been certainly better if the valorous guy didn't caught a disturbing cold which forced him to drink frequently water ! But the set is captivating with an Alan Jones in top form, twisting, twirling and having fun with a funny hat with England colors. Motivation, experience, great musicianship... those guys are maybe the oldest musicians of the fest but have plainly justified their reputation of CULT band !  

And what about some Funeral Death/Doom  now with MOURNFUL CONCREGATION ? Ah, definitely this programmation kills and there's even other bands which I regret not to take more than a few minutes to see (COUGH, LECHEROUS GAZE and their completely drunk singer, yet spiting good punkish vocals!)

The aussie band is used to come in Europe and looks like at home on this stage, one hour of pure relentless grief. To have all those four guys aligned with obscure lights and delivering their uncompromising pieces of slow and despaired art was something pretty impressive (and again the balcony was great for this set) !

I end this third day with GRAVES AT SEA  who gave here a punishing lesson of raw Sludge. I've rarely seen something so heavy and brutal at the same time and their friends (including Samothrace guys) nearby the stage were pretty much bringing forces to their assault with furious stage-diving and slaming... Nothing disagreeable during 10-15 minutes, impressively brutal and funny at some point but I think we're all tired and we decide it's time go sleepin' !!!

Watch VIDEO of DAY 03 : here

DAY 4  : It's sunday and to tell the truth I've seen already all the bands I really wanted to see in the first 3 days but a fest is also nice to try take time to discover new bands   and SEREMONIA from Finland is aptly starting on a ceremonial tone the last episode of this successfull 2nd edition. The native language vocals help make their fuzzy progressive Stoner/Doom pretty interesting, sounds a bit like Jex Thoth, all enveloped in a dark and esoteric mood... Another great band on Svart rds to explore !

Another one on Svart rds (and also Finnish) present today is DARK BUDDHA RISING who've played  a very distinctive performance, visually of course but musically they were maybe the noiseist act from all !

Their studio stuff is a lot more accessible in my opinion cause even if atmospheres are regularly shifted from the heaviest to some more psychedelic trippy sounds and dark ambient moods, all vocals are here almost just pure noise tortured-like growls  which are pretty hard to bear and make some songs too confused to be captivating all along... Yet it's been interesting to get to see such a droning psychedelic noise band on stage !

Despite the more and more felt tiredness, I'm really happy to see KADAVAR for the 1st time on stage in such great conditions and the german trio quickly shows that it is now a very experimented Live band, assured and mature, after various Tours in Europe and America over the past year...

With their freshly released sophomore album "Abra Kadavar", the guys have now more choice to compose a full setlist and logically blend new songs ("Doomsday Machine", "Eye of the Storm", the excellent "Come Back Life"...) with old ones - including "Living in my Head", "Purple Sage" or "Creature of the Demon" as essential hits...

The overall is powerful and heavy and this set is a perfect conclusion to this fest for me with this amazing Psychedelic Heavy-Rock; certainly not just only organic as one could have thought, occasionally stomping or spacey, Lindemann just perfectly knows how to shift around heady and vintage vibes and this new album is in my opinion a lot more consistent and even original than what have recently released all their retro-colleagues on Nuclear Blast.... 

I prefer not to think about the so boring vocals of MOSS and consider that my last good moments came from ORESUND SPACE COLLECTIVE (including Tom Sutton - ex Church of Misery) and their extra-extended set (they were the last band playing on stage 2) filled with very heavy guitars jamming and electronic psychedelica ! 

The festival is over by now and already my head boils with dozens of images and sounds accumulated in my smoky mind during the 4 last days ! I feel that musically Roadburn 2011 was maybe more memorable with its crazy line-up (Candlemass playing "Epicus Doomicus Metallicus" with the original singer, The Gates Of Slumber, Blood Farmers, Count Raven, etc...) but this 2nd edition of The HEAVY DAYS IN DOOMTOWN was remarkable on so many points : organisation, line-up, timing, food quality and prices, general atmosphere, DIY ethic, nice place given to visual arts (see last picture as a good example), etc...not forgetting a pretty nice city to visit beside (not the case of Tilburg ! and I will always pass on the abusively expensive London !!!) the ridiculous price of 55 Euros for the ticket with a T-shirt and 2 posters included -  that in the end, I've got the feeling that  it is the BEST festival I've ever done !!!

I don't know how the HDDT will evolve after such a successfull edition, it could be quickly limited in terms of capacity or a relocation will be necessary which would kinda suck because the site is awesome ! Anyway, it is highly recommended and  has definitely everything to become your new annual pilgrimage... and shit it's agreeable to already dream of other killer bands to possibly come within the next years like Archon, Ice Dragon, Stone Magnum, Curse The Son or In The company Of Serpents... just to name a few yankees I would dig to see on the old continent ;)