BAZ Underground Updates XXX

There is no stopping time from passing, is there? That is what our writers Julia Katrin and Tom Boatman realized as they were reminded that this one is number 30, no less! Quite the milestone to achieve, and all we hope is that we have managed to bring some fancy merchandise offers and fun events to your attention to brighten up your day and activities with it.

So, let’s see what’s out there…

Festival: Steelfest Open Air

This coming Halloween weekend, Steelfest Open Air is planning its first live episode to broadcast SteelChaos from STEEL TV. That’s a lot of steel! This Friday, live shows will include artists such as Vargrav, White Death, and Azazel, and is that in no way the complete lineup. The Saturday show will include Impaled Nazarene, Black Beast, and Archgoat, and again, that is just to name a few! All you need to do is subscribe to the online TV channel where you will be able to watch all the shows live, as well as the shows will be available for a rewatch until November 2^nd. For a full lineup and further information, you can visit the previous Steel TV link, as well as the event´s Facebook page.

Band: Moonspell

Rumor has it that this coming Saturday, Halloween itself, the 31^st of October, there will be a full moon shining down on the ancient town Beja in the south of Portugal. And it’s from there, that evening, that Moonspell is bringing us a very special Halloween live stream. 300 people were able to snatch up physical tickets and will of course keep a safe social distance between one another, however, online stream tickets are still available to all. The show will afterward also be available for a rewatch for 48 hours. The event will be held at the local theater, Pax Julia, originally built in 1928, so this is going to be all-out creepy and metal! Tickets are up for grabs here, as well as further information can be found both on the ticket page as well as the band’s Facebook page.

Band: Steel Panther

Having performed quite a bit of material live already this year, Steel Panther sure isn’t laying at home being bored and will this coming weekend perform a live stream of a special Halloween show, titled Halloweenie Ride Livestream. Broadcasting from the Viper Room in West Hollywood, there is also available VIP experience where you will be able to hang out with the band and they do encourage you to carve out your scariest pumpkin, put on a costume, and prepare for a musical trick or treat. For tickets and bundles head over here, and for further information and timetable head over to the group´s Facebook page.

Band: Molassess

Featuring several members from disbanded Psychedelic Rock band The Devil’s Blood and blending together darkly dreamy harmonies with a definite flavour of the angular, anxiety inducing guitar stylings of Robert Fripp’s King Crimson, the Netherland’s Molassess could be a fitting soundtrack to a surreal peyote journey out in the desert. Their album “Through the Hollow” is out now on Season of Mist and versions include two different double vinyl versions, of which there ain’t too many left, so get yourself over to their bandcamp page pronto if you feel so inclined. Check out a sample below:

Band: Wuw

From one flavour of darkness to another, we travel to Paris, France where the Experimental Instrumental Doom band Wuw have released a new vinyl pressing of their excellent “Rétablir L’Eternité” album. Originally released back in March, the slow dark riffing mixed with what sounds like squealing sax and horns creates the atmosphere of some dark noirish, lynchian landscape. Another perfect soundtrack for this ghoulish month. Head over to bandcamp to snap up a copy and listen to a sample below:

Band: Verset Zero

Ooooh mama! It just went from dark to pitch black as we now turn our gaze to Berlin’s Instruments of Discipline and their newly announced release “Kerygma” by Verset Zero. Due for release on November 24th, this release is tantalisingly promoted as a Post-Metal merging of Electronic Music with Noise, Doom, Pagan and Black Metal. Citing influences from Neurosis to Full of Hell. And if that doesn’t pique your interest you must have yet to tap into your inner darkness. Feel the fear with this sample below and pre-order the vinyl and other editions here.

Band: Boris & Merzbow

And if all of that is still not quite dark and bizarre enough for you, rejoice because the Drone Metal of Japan’s Boris and noise-fuckery of Merzbow have come together on Relapse Records for a new collaboration to pickle your brain. “2R0I2P0” is released on December 11th, but you can be quite sure that the various special edition vinyl pressings will be sold out very soon. Head over to bandcamp to avoid disappointment and check out the preview track below:

Band: Auðn

Now from Japan we go to Iceland for the fittingly icy Black Metal of Auðn and their latest release “Vökudraumsins Fangi”. Due for release on October 30th, you’ll find three tasty double vinyl editions to choose from (all close to being sold out) as well as some cool related t-shirts and CD and digital versions. Check them out on bandcamp and someone the spirits of winter with this sample below:

It appears as if many groups are taking the opportunity this Halloween to create something extra special for us, and there is absolutely no reason to be bored this coming weekend or look like a slob, so go now and get your tickets, bundles and merch ready and have a very scary and fun virtual Halloween!

By Julia Katrin and Tom Boatman

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