Ghost Cult continues our “End of Year Guest Post Extravaganza” with a slew of posts from bands, industry, PR pros, and more! We’ll be sharing lists, memories, and other shenanigans from our favorite bands, partners, music industry peers, and other folks we respect across the globe. In this edition, Nic of Frail Body shares his Top Albums List for 2020. Their 2019 A Brief Memorium, can be streamed and purchased here.
2020..What can I say? A year where Poppy releases a metal album and Glenn Danzig does an album of Elvis covers (for real go look it up)! Seriously though I think it was a bad year for everyone. Luckily there was some killer music to help us all get through. So, I’ve compiled a list of what helped me. This list was a lot harder to make than I first thought it was going to be so much good stuff out there. To be clear though, this isn’t a “best of” it’s just a list of my personal fav’s this year. So, enough bullshittin’ I present to you Torbjorn‘s 13.
The Events Center, Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, NV 8/17/19
Old Man Gloom, who dropped new music from their upcoming new album, Seminar VIII: Light of Meaning, last week, has surprise-released another new album on all streaming platforms today. You can pre-order a physical copy on Bandcamp. Seminar IX: Darkness of Being was recorded concurrently to Seminar: VIII and was intended as a double release as Old Man Gloom has done with prior releases. The band releasedd a lengthy explanation to Facebook, but essentially wanted to give something special to fans, confined by the current pandemic. Continue reading
In a story we have been following for some time, Old Man Gloom have formally announced their highly anticipated brand new album, Seminar: VIII Light of Meaning, out May 22, 2020, via Profound Lore Records. The album will be their first without Bassist/vocalist Caleb Scofield, who died in 2018. Caleb had been a member since 2001 and the album Seminar II: The Holy Rites of Primitivism Regressionism (Tortuga Recordings). Stephen Brodsky of Cave-In/Mutoid Man is now the bands’ full-time bassist. Listen to the new song ‘EMF’ and pre-order the album below. Continue reading
As far as large multi-day fests go, Psycho Las Vegas is still pretty wet behind the ears having only just had their fourth annual incarnation this August but already it has begun growing into what will likely continue to be the summer juggernaut of partying and music. New this year, to the dismay of many, was the location change from the off the strip and perfectly themed haunt, The Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, to the megaplex that is Mandalay Bay. Gone is the feeling of a true fest take over and in its place, a sprawling amalgamation of “psychos” and people from any town USA or abroad there simply to gamble, throw pre-wedding bashes, get drunk or maybe attend a conference (*ahem* “conference”). Once everyone got their bearings and navigated through this corporate mega casino/hotel/shopping mall, pushed back a few drinks or whatever preferred substances they were into, and found the locations of the four stages, the complaining ebbed and instead, people experienced the fest for what it is. A gigantic party with a great combination of bands playing for four days.Continue reading
Ghost Cult is once again honored to be part of Psycho Las Vegas, a goddam heavy metal casino/beach party extravaganza if there ever was one. The filth of Rock, Sludge, Doom, Trad, Hardcore, Prog, and Stoner Metal genres and the glitz of Vegas- baby, all rolled into one. Headlined by Original Misfits, Opeth, Electric Wizard, Corrosion of Conformity, Bad Religion, YOB, Lucifer, High on Fire, GsY!BE, Clutch, Carcass, Triumph of Death, Graveyard, ASG, Primitive Man, Deafheaven, Kadavar, Vio-Lence, Soft Kill, Andrew W.K., Tomb Mold, Power Trip, Full of Hell, and a ton more bands, it promises to be a rager. Sadly, Oranssi Pazuzu and Rotting Christ have dropped out. Every band is carefully curated and picked, so try to see them all if you can. If you can’t get set with the full lineup, and our “must not miss list” picks for each day!Continue reading
In a rare appearance in North America, Finnish psychedelic/prog Black Metallers Oranssi Pazuzu will embark on an EXCLUSIVE tour of the USA as part of their participation in Psycho Las Vegas 2019. The band will play a one-off show in Los Angeles on August 14th, preceding their performance on August 17th at Psycho Las Vegas, where they join the likes of The Original Misfits, High On Fire, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Bad Religion, Carcass, Old Man Gloom, Power Trip, and many more. Direct support on the tour to come from Insect Ark. The tour runs from October 10th through October 19th, with shows in Chicago, Detroit, Toronto, Montreal, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Raleigh, and Atlanta. Watch for additional dates to be added over the months ahead.Continue reading
Roadburn, now in its 20th year, is a fest I had promised I would start going to many, many years ago but for one reason or another never did. This year I went and although it is like other music fests in some ways, I can say that it is equally unlike other fests in many other ways. Many of my personal experiences will not be akin to a standard festival goer due to the nature of what I do obviously but if you bear with me here I can explain some things that the average person should expect when and if they decide to go is on their list of priorities. If you already know the drill or aren’t interested in this part please feel free to scroll on through.Continue reading
