First announcements for Old Grave Fest VII 2018

We are proud to announce the first few bands that will take the stage at Old Grave Fest VII, on the 12th and the 13th of October 2018, in Club Fabrica, Bucharest, Romania: Dawn of Winter (Germany), Malokarpatan (Slovakia), Nocturnal Witch (Germany) and Eggs of Gomorrh (Switzerland).

“Doom is the soul of metal” is not just one of the lyrics on Dawn of Winter's latest full-length record, it is the ethos of the entire 27-year career of the German doom stalwarts. The 1993 “Celebrate the Agony EP” and the spectacular “Doomcult Performance” live album already left a mark as an unique spin on a genre that was in its prime. While undeniably heavy, Dawn of Winter managed to sound dreamy, almost playful at times, thanks both to some inventive riffing and the colorful vocals of Gerrit Mutz, who would later showcase his versatility singing for bands as diverse as Tragedy Divine, Sacred Steel and Angel of Damnation (the latter of which we had the chance to see first hand at Old Grave Fest VI, 2017). 1998 saw the release of the first full length, “In the Valley of Tears”, with the band moving to an even slower, epic approach. True to doom, the band took their time to release their sophomore effort and it paid off: “The Peaceful Dead” (2008) is probably their best effort to date. A hymn to madness (“All the Gods You Worship”), revolt (“Oath of the Witch”) and despair (“Anthem of Doom”), it is for sure one of the highlights of traditional doom in the last decade. Another ten slow years had to pass for a new album to be released, but finally “Pray for Doom” will hit the shelves in 2018. Just in time for their first ever show in Romania!

Slovakia's Malokarpatan is a living proof that ultimately black metal is heavy metal and that style boundaries are blurred and have been even in the context of genre-defining bands. The debut “Stridžie dni” (2015) channels all that went into the initial development of black metal as a genre, think Venom to Bathory, firmly rooted in the band's area of origin (no, it's not just the song titles and lyrics) and developed to a highly personal approach. It would be simplistic to view this as Mortuary Drape playing Master's Hammer, but one can only go so far when describing music. “Nordkarpatenland” (2017) is another story - or maybe the same story told in a different way. Much more flamboyant (no, that's not a misspell of cheesy, this time), don't be surprised to hear some Judas Priest or Scorpions bits along with those essential early black metal vibes. All in all, certainly one of the most interesting releases out now, and one of the most interesting bands – a worthy addition to Old Grave Fest!

In the sea of black-thrash bands that popped out a while back throughout Germany, a handful stood out by developing their own unmistakable sound, and one of them was Nocturnal Witch. Leaning more towards the black metal side then most and like their countrymen Desaster, Nocturnal Witch relies more on riff-induced atmosphere then absolute speed. The debut album “Summoning Hell” (2014) delivers on every level and rumor has it a new record is in the works. We can't confirm or deny, so one way to find out is to check them out at Old Grave Fest VII.

Where black and death metal meet, bordering on what some call war metal, others bestial black-death, lie the Swiss horde Eggs of Gomorrh. That said, while forefathers like Blasphemy and Archgoat come to mind, there's somewhat more method to the madness here, not to say that it takes away from the relentless, pummeling assault showcased in the debut, “Rot Prophet” (2016). Who knows what the future holds for Eggs of Gomorrh, but it sure is dark!