GRIN – Acid Gods (2025) || The Lasting Dose Fest 2026

The Lasting Dose Fest 2026

 

The Lasting Dose Records has announced a showcase festival for several bands involved with the label, to be held later this week in Hamburg and Berlin.

The Hamburg show will be taking place at MS Stubnitz on Friday the 16th (tickets and more information here), and will feature performances by Daevar, GRIN, Ultrablut, and Earthbong.

Then, in Berlin at Neue Zukunft on Saturday the 17th (tickets/info here), with GRIN, Ultrablut, Earthbong, Sarkh, and Blacksmoker.

 

So if you find yourself in northern Germany on those dates, or if you’re anywhere within driving/train/whatever distance of the country’s two largest cities and feeling adventurous, it’s highly recommended that you go check out what TLD has to offer.

But if you need a bit more encouragement — or for those of us who find ourselves on the wrong side of the planet, but who would like a little something to listen to at home in order to live vicariously — let’s check out Acid Gods which was released last year by one of the bands who’ll be gracing both nights of the fest with their presence: GRIN.

 

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Sâver – They Came with Sunlight (2019)

SâverThey Came with Sunlight (Pelagic Records, 08 March 2019)

 

Here in the Valley of Steel we don’t pay much attention to what’s trending or getting a bunch of recognition elsewhere; all we care about is listening to what we enjoy, and (sometimes) writing about it.

But having said that, sometimes it’s also nice to feel vindicated and validated, when something we identify as “good” achieves recognition from elsewhere.

Case in point: They Came with Sunlight, the debut offering from Oslo trio Sâver — which upon its release about eleven months ago made quite an impression upon this reviewer, later to become firmly entrenched in our selection of last year’s best records.

Well, just a few days ago the band announced that the album had been nominated for a Norwegian Grammy. In fact, it was one of four from 2019 recognized in the Metal category by the Spellemann committee, for the award officially known as the Spellemannprisen.

And so, if you haven’t already become enamored of They Came with Sunlight, here’s your opportunity to see what all the fuss is about!

 

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Ufomammut – Ecate (2015), 8 (2017)

Ecate

UfomammutEcate (Neurot Recordings, 31 March 2015)

Ufomammut8 (Neurot Recordings, 22 September 2017)

 

The name Ufomammut seems to be one that we Americans tend to struggle with. But fortunately the band has been kind enough to explain its origin: “ufo” (OOH-foe) is the Italian word for “UFO,” while “mammut” (MAMM-utt) means “mammoth.” Therefore the correct pronunciation of the name would be “OOH-foe-MAMM-utt.” Got it?

The etymological origin of their name is also one of the most accurate descriptions a band has ever given itself, as this trio combine the mysterious spaced-out vibe of a flying saucer with the earth-shaking immensity of a prehistoric pachydermic behemoth.

And now, for the first time in two years, they are bringing this spectacle to North American soil: hitting Maryland Death Fest this weekend, as well as Northwest Terror Fest in early June, and then surrounding these dates with a month-long loop around the whole country that kicks off TONIGHT (Wednesday the 23rd) in Providence. Of course we’ll supply you with details about all these shows later. But first, an introduction to the band’s music for the uninitiated …

 

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Ommadon – V (2014), Empathy for the Wicked (2015), self-titled (2016), End Times (2018)

OmmadonV (Domestic Genocide Records, 05 August 2014)

 

OmmadonEmpathy for the Wicked (Golden Mantra, 15 July 2015)

 

OmmadonOmmadon (Medusa Crush Recordings/Dry Cough Records/Burning World Records, 08 April 2016)

 

OmmadonEnd Times (Dry Cough Records/At War with False Noise/DGRecords/Medusa Crush Recordings, 01 May 2018)

 

Today is going to be Ommadon day. All day long. And that’s really not an exaggeration: you’re going to need all day to plow through the massive heap of noise this Glaswegian duo (featuring David Tobin, guitars, and Ewan Mackenzie, drums/keyboards) has forged together over the past four years!

Fans of the two-minute pop ditty should probably just quit reading right here. But if you’ve ever listened to Ufomammut or Kongh and thought to yourself, “Wow this is great but I really wish all of the songs were way longer and way slower,” well… this just may be your lucky day!

 

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