Dopethrone is a three piece band from Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Active since 2008, this DIY band is known for their abrasive mix of sludge and doom with lyrics based in the self destruction, cannabis, sleazy drug abuse, and the macabre. Influenced by rock n roll, punk, black metal, and blues, the band refers to their music as “Slutch”, the Canadian term for cold sludge, a.k.a. dirty mud snow. They once described it as “frozen sludge, snow covered in addiction, blood, tears, and broken dreams”. After their second release, the band started drawing some attention to them and were invited by Voivod to perform at Roadburn 2012. They since haven’t stopped growing their audience in Europe, their adoptive land. Since their formation, Dopethrone has release five full length studio albums to date, joined some collaborations with other artists, and have regularly toured Europe and Canada. After a series of massive tours in 2019, the band has not hit the road since, and focused on the ‘delicate’ baking of their new release. The new effort, to be out early 2024, will come with North American tours, and even a return to Europe for select dates.

With riffs and lyrics as bleak and crushing as a Michigan winter, Blackened Doom outfit Temple of the Fuzz Witch bring a unique take on the genre. The Detroit three piece blend multiple styles and influences into a sound completely their own.

Unto the Earth is a four piece metal band out of Chicago, straddling the lines between stoner, desert, doom, and sludge, with shoegaze and heavy psych influences. Formed in 2019 by guitarist Mike Yoshida and bassist/vocalist/instrumentalist Simeon Papacostas, two long-time friends who first started playing together back in the mid-90s, along with lead guitarist Jed Jacobs, the group added another longtime friend and former bandmate Brant Maze on drums to complete the lineup. Together they have embarked on a musical odyssey that combines driving drums, melodic basslines, layered guitars, and evocative lyrics, while paying tribute to the influences of their youth. Inspired by a diverse group of influences like Monster Magnet, Fu Manchu, Kyuss, Hum, Elder, and others, as well as giants such as Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, and Pink Floyd, Unto the Earth writes songs that feature heavy riffs, soaring guitar harmonies, and droning, melodic vocals, interspersed with atmospheric interstitials and psychedelic interludes that all combine to take the listener on a cosmic journey.