Malta Doom Metal Festival Booklet V3 2018

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Noel Mifsud interviews Dr.(Doom) Albert Bell 1. 10 YEARS AGO, WITH FORSAKEN’S “AFTER THE FALL” JUST ONE MONTH OLD AND WORK ON NOMAD SON’S SECOND OPUS “THE ETERNAL RETURN” WELL UNDER WAY, YOU MANAGED TO GIVE BIRTH TO THE MALTA DOOM METAL FESTIVAL. FIRST QUESTION IS THE OBLIGATORY: WHAT MADE YOU ORGANISE SUCH AN EVENT AND WHY? First of all, thank you Noel for this interview, and thank you also to OneProductions for hosting us here. Basically my ideas on founding the Malta Doom Festival go back to my experiences with both Forsaken and also Nomad Son at the Doom Shall Rise festivals and other festivals that we were booked during that period, early 2000s and later with Nomad Son. What really captivated me in those festivals was the whole community spirit, and I always wondered what it would be like if we could have something like that locally, in Malta. When the idea first came to me, I believed that Malta was not prepared for such a festival, because the scene was not as strong as it needed to be. But then gradually, you had these emerging local bands, or else bands that had been long established, like Victims of Creation, and Weeping Silence who were really gigging and sort of building strength, and Nomad Son had also erupted on the scene, and response towards these bands was very good, and so suddenly I started thinking that the scene was ready for something of this stature, and I think it was 2006 or 2007 I tried to test the ground, and organised a three way gig called The Doom Metal Assault, with a band from England, Unsilence, and it went really well, so I thought then that it seems like we can do something like this. And this is how the idea to replicate the community spirit of Doom Shall Rise, evolved. So MDM replicates that...attempt to replicate that spirit.

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2. FROM DAY ONE THE MUSIC IN THE FESTIVAL WAS KEPT AS OLD SCHOOL AS POSSIBLE. WHAT MADE YOU TAKE THIS DECISION AND DO YOU THINK IT WORKED? Sometimes these festivals involve strategic marketing decisions, but at the same time I am a purist at heart and every decision that we take reflects my philosophy on heavy metal and what heavy metal should be. So while I know that possibly the more commercial you make it, it’s going to appeal to more people, but that will never be done with Malta Doom Metal. The idea is to focus on doom metal and related sub-genres, anything which we think is associated to doom metal and which we think from our profiling of the average doomhead taking ourselves as being adequate samples, the sort of stuff that we’re into, and that normally involves 80’s metal, I’m not talking about hair metal and glam metal, that’s obviously off limits, but we’re talking about the spirit of ’77, the NWOBHM, proto-thrash and proto-death and also perhaps even going back to the proto-doom sounds, the original sounds coming from the 70’s, that’s all part of what MDM represents, and I think that over the years, this mix of bands has helped to make the festival more interesting. Sometimes it’s difficult that over two days, plus the warm-up show, listening nonstop to doom metal bands, pure doom metal bands, becomes a bit daunting. So basically, what we’re trying to mix it up a bit, to appeal to the tastes of all old school doom metalheads on the island, especially doomheads, and also trying to open the international dimension and get as wide an audience as possible with lots of foreigners like we’ve been having recently, which makes it all the more exciting, and basically now, The Malta Doom Metal Festival has become this annual pilgrimage from all over Europe, and beyond, to Malta, this hub which is slowly developing into a strong niche for Doom metal.

3. CAN YOU TAKE US THROUGH THE HISTORY OF THE FESTIVAL PLEASE FROM THE EYES OF THE ORGANISER? Obviously I still have very fond and vivid memories of the first edition, which was hosted in a locality in the entertainment hub on the island called Paceville, or used to be an entertainment hub, now it’s a really a pile of shit. It was hosted in the Poxxbar with 6 bands, 5 Maltese and one foreign band. We had weeping Silence, Victims Of Creation, Dawn Of Anguish, which was just founded around that time and it was (Forsaken’s) Simeon’ Gatt’s, other project, Nomad Son and Forsaken as in local bands, and Dark Quarterer from Italy, one of the leading progressive doom bands throughout history and I still remember that show very vividly....a great show. And the most sort of appealing sentiment to me from that first edition was introducing Dark Quarterer to several of the Maltese audience who hadn’t heard of them before. I remember they had lots of sales, the merch was gone within an hour and the show was fantastic, very intimate. With the second edition then we tried to expand the international dimension and we involved more foreign bands, including a band from Italy called Hands Of Orlac, who since then moved to Sweden if I’m correct.

We also had Sorrows Path from Greece and Lothus from Sicily, who featured some members from Trinakrius. This international dimension really sort of made the festival more exciting and brought people from different backgrounds together, different cultures, and the Maltese metalheads were starting to experience this international favour in a big way and in every edition since then, we tried to increase the dose to a great extent. I mean there’s been lot of great editions, I can’t go through them all, we’d need the entire interview to do that, but I remember when we got Pagan Altar here and Terry was still alive and very well. Just hosting them here and continuing to build our friendship was a very nice and great experience. Another great occasion for me was to host The Black, one of my favourite bands from Abruzzo and obviously one of Italy’s, I would argue, strongest bands ever. It’s a very obscure band, which I think would take a little bit of connoisseurship to really get in to. But if I had to pinpoint my favourite show ever throughout all these 9 editions, we’re going on the 10th now, would be the Venom Inc show in 2015. Venom is my favourite all time band, I’ve been into the band since I was about 12 years old, and they were the soundtrack of my youth and well after that, because I continued to follow the band passionately and very religiously, and hosting them here, especially in their Venom Inc. incarnation was very unique and a great experience. Seeing them getting so well with the fans, makes a band in my opinion much more special than they are, because sometimes you tend to meet bands with a shit attitude towards their fans and it becomes somewhat disappointing. I’ve met a couple of bands like that over time, but both in Pagan Altar’s case especially, The Black, but even more so, I would argue, with Venom Inc it was an incredible experience.

4. THESE PAST 10 YEARS WITNESSED MORE THAN 130 PERFORMANCES BY BANDS FROM OVER 20 COUNTRIES ON THE MALTA DOOM METAL FESTIVAL STAGE, SOME BANDS EVEN ENGRAVING THEIR FUTURE FROM THAT PERFORMANCE...

Yeah, I mean, first of all, the number is quite astounding, I wasn’t aware that we’ve already got 130 performances. Some of the bands have really made well after their performance at the MDM. My associates and I try to keep our eye out for emerging bands. A strong case in point for me was King Witch, I had my eye on the band for some time and I made sure that we try to approach them and rope them in and I’m sure that the band will go far, because

their potential is huge. And I think it’s quite a privilege for us to give an opportunity for such bands to get on stage at an international festival. Ok, it’s not a big festival it’s a small niche festival, but quite often we get lots of people from abroad reviewing the fest, we also get labels in attendance, and they’re all on the lookout for this new emerging talent, and yes, with King Witch it was a case in point.

Another example is Victims of Creation. After their resurrection, we had them on board a few times at MDM, and on one occasion we had a guy from Cyclone Records in attendance and they were convinced there and then to sign Victims of Creation and they had their first full length album, another important milestone I think.

5. WHAT FEEDBACK HAVE YOU GOT FROM BAND MEMBERS AND HOW DOES THIS MAKE YOU FEEL? To be honest, we rarely had any negative feedback or criticism. There was one occasion or maybe a couple, but I won’t go into that. But normally, the bands we hosted have really enjoyed their experience on the island, not just at the festival, but also the island as a whole package. Often staying on the island well after the festival, making a bit of a holiday as well, enjoying the sights and the island in its totality. The good thing about this is that this whole experience makes more bands want to come back to the show. We receive several applications every year, including bands that’ve already played at the festival and they’re sort of really keen on coming back, and we try to accommodate everybody, although sometimes it’s quite impossible to do so, because obviously you cannot make a whole edition, just replicating all the bands you’ve had before. But we never rule out bands revisiting or being re-hosted at MDM. We’ve had that in the past and we continue to do it, but in a small dose so that at the same time you bring in new acts to make it a bit more exciting. I’ve even removed my own bands from the bill several times, because at a point in time Nomad Son and Forsaken had been playing at the festival nearly a year in year out, so at a point in time I said this has to stop. But then we’ve also decided to reinvolve Forsaken for the tenth edition.

6. THROUGHOUT THE PAST EDITIONS THERE ARE CERTAINLY SOME EPISODES, WHETHER PLEASANT OR NOT, THAT REMAIN IMPRINTED ON THE ORGANIZERS’ MINDS......

One interesting incident was from last year’s edition, when we had Doomsday Kingdom, the new band from the godfather of doom, Leif Edling. Leif asked me before the festival if he could use one of my basses. He chose the AIA. He was here together with his family and made a bit of a holiday of it and I also loaned him a practice amp, to practice with it at his hotel room. But then I remember being outside at the festival, watching Doomsday Kingdom come in the van and Leif is coming out, all the band is out and they get out all their equipment but I can’t see the bass, and then Leif came up to me and he told me “damn me, I forgot the bass, damn my memory, I forgot the bass”. I remember Stephen, one of our helpers at the festival last year, he was just sinking in, biting into his piece of Maltese bread during his break and perhaps downing a beer and he had to stop, I had to stop him. I told him you have to get to Qawra and get that bass back. And Leo from Forsaken kindly drove him, but it was a scary and funny incident at the same time. These things happen all the time during the festival, there is a new one every year.

Or another one was I remember with Tyson Dog, this extraordinary band, this NWOBHM band from Newcastle and I hope I’m not revealing anything too strenuous, but the guys had drunk a bit heavily during their stay here and at a point in time our helper Malta Doom Metal Fest

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helping out with the accommodation, Claire, was trying to locate the band, because we had the transfers ready for them, to come to Buskett to come on stage, when she couldn’t find them. Eventually they made their way, and we witnessed a fantastic show. Tyson Dog, a case in point, obviously does not relate to the genre that much, but doomheads, are quite into the whole generation of NWOBHM bands, that inspired doom as well, bands like Witchfynde in general obviously, Pagan Altar and Angel Witch would be another case in point. We’re all really into this stuff and Tyson Dog was a strong case in point of a band not really related to the genre, but getting on stage and really delivering the goods, and another case in point would be Desolation Angels, which was another fantastic show.

7. IT IS HIGHLY RENOWED WHAT MALTA HAS TO OFFER IN REGARDS TO BOTH HISTORY AND ENVIRONMENT. HOW DOES THE MDM PROJECT THE ISLAND? If I had to pin point one word it would be hospitality. So I think we often reflect on ourselves, on our national character, as being a hospitable nation, open to all and ready to go that extra mile to make some person’s visit to the island, whoever it is, a memorable one, and I think MDM really epitomises all this. And the sense of hospitality that we show and demonstrate to bands and also more than that, trying to do things within our limitations obviously, of course there are financial constraints, human resource constraints, to do things as professional as possible. So this professionalism, combined with hospitality, I think makes the event very rewarding for whoever is participating in it, especially those bands making the trip from abroad and the fans too, because we can’t forget the fans, without them the event wouldn’t happen.

8. TODAY YOU CAN LOOK BACK WITH PRIDE TO WHERE MDM IS. WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE MAIN INGREDIENT FOR THE SUCCESS TO SUCH AN EVENT AND DO YOU THINK THAT YOU HAVE ACHIEVED YOUR DREAM, YOUR GOAL OF WHAT YOU WANTED THE MDM TO BECOME? In respect to the second part of the question, I think I’ve surpassed my initial expectations to be honest. As to what makes the event so special, the secret ingredient, if you will, is the fact that behind MDM you’ve got a group of people, not profit oriented, doing things voluntarily, just out of their love for the music and their passion for it.

And this is what MDM is all about. Passion and love for old school heavy metal and old school doom, to the extent that we lose endless nights of sleep because of it, we could all be doing something else and earning money, which we’re not, so the sense of commitment is the defining element, the sense of commitment, the sense of family, the sense of solidarity, the sense of companionship and true friendship that we forged between us, the organising team, and all the volunteers that help us, all the fans, year in year out, we’ve got people visiting us from Germany, England, Ireland, Holland, Italy, Sweden, wherever.

Seeing these happy faces, smiling faces, year in year out, sharing our passion and love for the music. That’s what really makes it all worth it.

I mean I always say, as you know, that every year this will be the last year, but after the event passes, and we come down and do the math, but at the same time I always have these recollections of the different editions that we’ve had and the fun that we’ve all had getting these acts to Malta and seeing people enjoy themselves. So this is what motivates us to go on.

9. WHAT ARE THE PROS AND CONS OF ORGANIZING A FESTIVAL LIKE THE MALTA DOOM METAL FESTIVAL ON A SMALL ISLAND? The biggest difficulty in terms of the international borders is accessibility to the island, since because of the island’s geographical location; we’re limited in terms of how many people we can attract, given the fact that most people have to get a plane to get to the island.

However, at the same time we’re also aware of the huge distances that they have abroad, so for somebody in Northern Sweden, to travel down to Southern Sweden for a gig that would take the same amount of time to come to Malta. So probably, they’re much better off getting a plane to MDM, better weather and cheaper prices. What I’m sometimes somewhat disappointed, and I have to say this, is the lack of……musical education that persists on the island, even amongst the metal scene. So sometimes you get people who would be put off from coming to the festival because of the idea that it’s totally dedicated to doom. Like I said, we always try to address every shape and hue of doom metal, plus also various shades and hues, a whole kaleidoscope of colours in respect of old school metal. It’s very difficult not to enjoy yourself at least with a couple of bands at MDM. But we still have this resistance from people not coming to the festival for this reason or because it is too expensive, or that it’s too far on an island which is basically a pea in the ocean. We had people coming from Japan last year, but we don’t have people coming from …. wherever in Malta because it’s too far. It’s insane. It’s just a 10 minute drive to Buskett. Another difficulty that we’re experiencing now is the over saturation of events. So people are now choosing where to go according to their preferences, which is a good thing, but the over saturation is not helping, because there’s too much going on.

Because in Malta we tend to have this tendency of extremes, shifting the pendulum from one side to the other, so for many years there was nothing go on, while now there is too much going on. But the good thing is that most of us involved in the scene, have tried to come together, the promoters especially try to create some sort of calendar which avoids this sort of overlap, so things could improve eventually.

So far as the pros are concerned, obviously the proximity that we have on the island helps with transfers, making things not as difficult as they are abroad. The good level of hotels that we have helps with hospitality; the tightness of the doom metal scene is also a huge advantage. We know that we can rely on a group of people that support us, and this really helps. This also spills over the organisation of MDM, because of the whole, as I said before, voluntary aspect to it, which resonates with passion……another good recent development is the attention that we’re getting as well from the public arts sphere, and I think that MDM itself is helping to change all that. There is also this humane element, this community element, this community spirit. Plus there is also the recognition of the impact that festivals like MDM and others are having on the Maltese economy, this creation of a new niche in our economy, music cultural tourism, I could call it music sub-culture tourism, which some people now, both in the public and private sector are even more aware of and perhaps ready to help out, and this for us is a huge milestone, because we’ve come a long way from way back in the late 70s and 80s, because you’ve got long hair and all that. Being stopped in the street to actually being supported by the state, that’s quite a milestone.

10. EVERY EVENT NEEDS SUPPORT AND HELP AND OF COURSE MDM IS NOT DIFFERENT......

There’s a core group of people, obviously there is Noel, handling the marketing and PR dimension, organising initiatives such as

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this one. There’s Glen Gauci, who’s also involved in the booking of bands and face logistical aspects, a huge asset to the team. James Gauci handles all the financial aspect, plus a myriad, a whole platter of things. I mean, everybody is a huge asset to the team. Otherwise they wouldn’t be in it. There’s Claire Borg, who handles everything related to lodging and accommodation and hospitality…..and screaming sometimes on end. Then there’s this really vociferous person, Robert, the videographer. He’s really a noisy guy, sometimes too loud, but he’s a great asset as well. Simeon, the drummer from Forsaken, who’s also a fundamental part of the team gives a very strong contribution to the core team. He handles and oversees our website, website development, and the management of that, and is also our liaison in terms of graphic design, which is handled by Alexia Baldacchino from Loudpix, who’s always done a great job Simeon is also our drum tech together with Dino, the drummer of Victims of Creation, I also would like to pinpoint the various helpers we’ve had in the past, who unfortunately for their own personal reasons, and we appreciate that, had to move on. Matthew Camilleri for several years, I still miss the guy, a bundle of joy and at the same time still strongly committed to MDM. The guys involved in the very first edition like Gordon Silvio and also Malcolm Borg Galea, he carried on for some years as well, a great help. Then, the witches of Doom that help us year in, year out; Noel’s wife Vica and daughter Emma, James’ wife Carol, Glen’s girlfriend Chiara.

Then there’s also other persons involved in the logistics on stage, Rex Grech Santucci, who is a great asset. In 2017 we also involved for the first time, Daniel Warrington, and in the past we had Chris and Julien Grech (from Nomad Son). The festival’s official photographers, Katrina and Stefano. Obviously the people at the venue who host us, those who help with the merch, I mean, so many people involved.

a step up on the bill to an extensive show and that was a very emotional one; I got tears in my eyes at that show. I also enjoyed Desaster from the last edition. Like I said earlier, we go through all the band applications religiously. Obviously we also have an idea of who we want at the festival, and we go through the discography of all the bands. Most of the bands that we have on board, I would have the discography anyway. So we make no exceptions.

12. WHERE DO YOU SEE THE FESTIVAL IN 5 OR 10 YEARS TIME? This is a difficult question obviously. Each edition we take stock of what’s going on in the scene, the developments, we have to take into account the financial viability, because all right, it’s not a case of making money, but it’s not a case of losing money either. I think 10 years is already a very long history for a festival. It’s one of the longest serving and longest standing doom metal festivals in Europe, so it’s quite an accomplishment and beyond. Obviously I’d love to carry on and I’m sure that in my absence other people would carry on. But I can’t imagine myself without doom metal; I can’t imagine myself without heavy metal. I would only imagine myself without heavy metal when I’m dead. So possibly I’ll be resting.

Maybe listening to Manowar on my way to Valhalla or wherever, or to Venom on my way to hell, but I think it’s unlikely that I’ll give this up in one form or another.

Dr. Albert Bell was interviewed by Noel Mifsud (One Radio / allRock Dab+) on 18th April 2018 at ONE Productions studios, recorded by Joseph Bondin. Photos by Katrina (Bloodography) & video by Robert Azzopardi.

11. HEADLINERS APART, IS THERE A BAND OR PERFORMANCE THAT IS STILL STAMPED IN YOUR MIND FROM THE PAST EDITIONS? I value every band we bring to MDM, but I remember one great show that I really enjoyed was that of The Temple of Pain. Being a huge Thunderstorm fan, that show is engraved in my heart. Iron Void are a band that I like a lot and having them in Malta for MDM, they played at both the event itself and also for the warm up show, great band who are going on from strength to strength. Same, I would argue with Arkham Witch, one of my favourite shows at MDM, was the first Arkham Witch show. I mean that was brutal.

Another one would be Dawn of Winter. That was in that edition when Sorcerer had cancelled their trip and Dawn of Winter took

MONDAYS 10PM

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We are the MDM Road Crew!

The MDM crew speak about what the festival means to them personally, their role & favourite shows!

James Gauci “My involvement in the local rock and metal scene started when I was asked to manage local vintage rockers Frenzy Mono in the early 2000s. After that I also took Nomad Son on board shortly after the band was founded by Albert Bell and the Frenzy Mono clan in 2006 and really started to get into all things doom over the years. After the success of the first edition of MDM, Albert asked me if I wish to involve myself in the festival’s organisation. His plans were to take the festival forward with gradual yet important steps. For this end we co-founded First Light Productions in 2010, which is the festival’s mother company and through which we handle and process all the festival’s financial management.

Though quite strenuous, building MDM into what it is today has been one great ride, with some bumps but some very magical moments too! Various shows have really left their mark on me but if I had to shortlist the following would really be a must: Dark Quarterer (2009) – this edition set the ball rolling and that DQ show was just incredible; Forsaken (2010) – Malta’s Gods played a special set marking their third album “Dominaeon” at the second edition of the festival in 2010. The band played the entire album that night – note for note and that was certainly one for the books! Venom.inc (2015) was another great highlight for me as were the Atlantean Kodex and the Doomsday Kingdom shows last year (2017)”.

Simeon Gatt I’m Simeon Gatt drummer of Forsaken (1991 to date) and Dawn of Anguish ( 2008 to date) and MDM gives the opportunity to local and foreign bands to play in front of maltese and foreign audience, where the latter are the majority of the audience for this festival. Such band exposure help bands to build more contacts both locally and abroad, gets reviewed by international critics present at every festival and facilitate gig organisation. As a drum technician (2009 to date) for MDM festival, I helped all drummers who played throughout these past 9 MDM editions. Other than drum tech during the festival, I take care of the sound requirements, stage & lighting requirements and updating of the MDM website (www. maltadoom.com).

MDM is a festival which set new high standards to locally organised festivals and proud to be the only plastic cup free festival with the introduction of the recyclable plastic cup MDM is my yearly enjoyable headache and has always been part of my life, since the very first edition in 2009. Helping Forsaken’s band mate and MDM organizer Albert Bell has always been my pleasure, providing advise on bands, the drum kit and helping around in the early days. Obviously, as editions went by I got more and more involved into the organisation of the festival and for this 10th edition I will taking care of the sound, stage, lighting, and drums requirements, updating the MDM website and others.

Seeing all those happy faces especially foreigners who travel to this beautiful island in the middle of the Mediterranean, gives me more energy every year to continue and contribute for this remarkable dream of hosting prestigious metal and doom bands to the local scene.

I am proud to be part of this organization, as we were the first in Malta in introducing new concepts and ideas to events organized in Malta and provide a yearly event in the metal scene calendar for old school and doom metal enthusiasts.

I would like to end by listing my top favourite bands who played along the years in the past editions, at least the ones I treasure the most, apart from Forsaken and Dawn of Anguish, the bands that I perform with, Dark Quarterer (2009), Pagan Altar (2011), Dawn of Winter (2012), Manilla Road (2014), Venom Inc (2015), Place of Skulls (2016) and Doomsday Kingdom (2017)”.

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Glen Gauci “Ever since the 2nd edition, when I was invited by Albert, to be part of the crew.....the MDM fest was one hell of an epic journey. It is an event that became an integral part of my life and a dream which was unfolding in front of our eyes every year. The MDM gave me the possibility to meet a lot of Metalheads from around the world, bring bands to Malta which rank amongst my all time favourite and create a brotherhood of like-minded individuals with the sole aim of being part of event that is nowadays renowned and respected throughout the whole metal world. This was no easy feat to reach, especially considering the fact that Malta is not really at the centre of the metal discourse but I firmly believe we succeeded in putting this island on the Heavy Metal map and reaching the 10th edition firmly proves that this event is built on solid basis and with the help of all our fellow heavy metal brethren we hope that the MDM is here to stay!! My top 5 performances are as follows: Pagan Altar (2011), Venom Inc (2015), Dark Quarterer (2009), Place of Skulls (2016) and Atlantean Kodex (2017)”.

Claire Borg “I have long had deep admiration for underground bands; since their energy and dedication is incredible.

I am also a big supporter of the local scene; there is so much talent here and I believe it needs to be recognized and supported. I am a regular participant, abroad and locally of small scale music festivals which give an intimate, better personality than most large festivals. Moreover, logistics, coordination and hosting are my forte; and for the past four years, I was more than happy to join my brothers at the Malta Doom Metal festival as like myself, we have the same vision and understanding to what makes a true underground festival. My role within MDM is accommodation / logistics management, which entails coordinating the bands’ hotel accommodation, flights and transfers, while ensuring that their stay within our islands was the most pleasant experience they’ve ever had within their busy tour. It is quite a challenge but something that I really enjoy doing. I consider my involvement in MDM enriching in various ways. Needless to say the band shows are the cherry on the cake and there certainly have been some very strong ones. My personal favourite MDM shows remain Manilla Road (2014), Barabbas (2016), and Desaster and Doomsday Kingdom from last year’s edition (2017)”.

Noel Mifsud “Who would have thought that from a small island like Malta, with a population of not more than half a million, and a true metalheads head count of a few hundred comes a festival considered amongst the top ten small festivals in Europe – The Malta Doom Metal Festival. I might probably be the only one who has attended the festival under three different caps...that of an attendee (the first edition), as a journalist (the second one) and as part of the organising committee (since the third edition).

But what does the festival mean to me? After family, music has been the most important feature in my life since the mid-eighties, so when Dr. Doom himself asked me to join the organising committee I considered it another milestone in my career. Apart from radio shows and managing bands, I have occasionally organised music events, but not on the scale the MDM was back in 2011. It has gotten so much bigger since, as the enthusiasm of my fellow brothers and sister grew stronger with each edition. This year we’re marking the tenth one and each edition has had different satisfactions than the previous edition. Music-wise I honestly cannot remember a set or a band that I did not like or enjoy. Apart from the festival days, I personally look forward to each and every meeting we make during the months in between October of every year. I’m captivated by the ideas my fellow colleagues come up with and it is a privilege and an honour to be a member of such a team. A team which also extends itself during the days of the festival and includes the ‘witches of doom’( fondly tagged by Albert himself)and the ever vital stage hands.

I am also very lucky, not only to have the support of my family, but they’re actually present during the festival days. My wife has been taking care of the bands’ merchandise since the year I joined the committee while my eldest (daughter) has been helping her mum for the last five years or so. My youngest [son] is already looking forward to join the clan and he’s counting the months he’s got left to come of age!

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As I already mentioned I cannot remember a set or a band that I did not like or enjoy. Maybe some band might get my attention more than another, depending on what my duties are at that moment the band is playing. But throughout all these years listening and presenting [DJing] music I am able to find the good in every track and performance. This of course makes it very difficult to pin-point a performance or a number of performances from the MDM as my favourite. I have of course special moments from the MDM days that are very close to heart, and I believe that deep down I cherish these episodes , whether funny or emotional, more than any performance. Without any doubt the moment I treasure most occurred on the 6th November 2011. That year the festival was headlined

by Pagan Altar, and on Sunday the band invited us for meal and a few drinks with them before they left the island. That evening I was lucky to discuss one of my favourite topics with the late Terry Jones, the story of Jack the Ripper. Early in the career of Pagan Altar, Terry wrote a song about the Ripper, which was re-recorded in 2007 and released as a single. We discussed his research for the song and when I told him I was very interested to read it (as I am with any publication regarding Jack the Ripper) he gladly sent me a copy. A copy I received a few days later and that I still value.

Two years later, on the 25th and 26th of October, MDM was celebrating its fifth anniversary and we deemed it fit that the band which headlined the first edition would again play. On Monday 28th October I had the pleasure to host Dark Quarterer on my radio show. Every interview I do is in its way special, but this one has to be one of my top five interviews I’ve ever done. The reason is: with the history Dark Quatrerer has we discussed one of my favourite times in music, the 70’s Italian prog and its obscure bands of the era.

There are of course many other episodes that I shall treasure for the rest of my life, but it’ll take a whole publication to write them all. Therefore I shall conclude with the most recent one – The Malta Doom Metal Festival 2017. One of the headliners was Hell. I met Kev Bower and Andy Sneap during the summer when they played Metaldays festival where I recorded an interview with them as a promotion for the MDM. Socialising with these guys backstage is something I’ll remember for a very long time...the humour these guys have is typical British humour to say the least.

But I cannot end this without mentioning the new friends I made during these past years, and always something to look forward to the future editions, catching up with them and of course making new ones.

One has to admit that it’s episodes like these, together with the performances that make a festival memorable and with nine years like this I’m sure it is an augury for the years to come.....”

Robert Azzopardi “The essence of doom metal is the true brotherhood found within the genre. MDM represents this very essence of bringing together artists and festival goers without any division. Musicians enjoying other band’s performances and attendees headbanging while respecting the band on stage without the need for physical barriers creates this one big family called the MDM FAMILY. I feel very proud and honoured to have been part of this FAMILY since its inception in 2009 and officially being part of the organisation with my Maltese doom metal clan: Albert, Glen, James, Simeon, Noel and Claire since 2014. What has been lost with headbanging to my favourite songs underneath the MDM stage, has been gained with feeling the sheer emotions of the band members before their performance and gaining direct contact with the excitement of the festival goers! It is quite challenge to list my all-time fave MDM performances, but here goes! Pagan Altar (2011), Arkham Witch (2015), Northwinds (2016), Victims of Creation (2009) and Temple of Pain (2011)”.

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Just as the long hot summer of 1976 had given birth to Punk, the long, cold winter of 1979 spawned the now legendary, New Wave Of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM), a movement of such magnitude that it is still being talked about more than twenty years later. Hard rocking, fast, loud, aggressive, NWOBHM captured the imagination of those disillusioned with disco, put-off by punk and nonplussed by the emerging New-Romantics. It also brought forth: Demon.

Formed during the first wave of NWOBHM by lyricist/vocalist Dave Hill and guitarist Mal Spooner, with Paul Riley on bass, Clive Cook on guitar and John Wright on drums, the Midlands quintet hooked up with Clay Records supremo, Mike Stone, in 1980, to release their first single, Liar. Issued on blood-red vinyl, in a limited edition run of just 5000 copies, Liar marked the beginning of an incredible story spanning two decades – and counting.

January 1981 saw the band venture into the studio to record their first album, Night of the Demon, whilst Clay Records struck a licensing deal with Carrere Records, to secure the album’s release. Half tales of mystery and imagination, half straight-ahead rock, Night of the Demon was both powerful and thoughtful – polished metal of the highest quality. Another single, Ride the Wind, also taken from the album, followed. The Demon machine was starting to gather momentum, which was infused with energy by the interest of Radio 1 DJ Tommy Vance. Invited to the BBC’s studios at Maida Vale, in London, to record four tracks for broadcast on Tommy’s Friday Rock Show, Demon produced one of the Radio 1 sessions of the year with rousing renditions of Full Moon/Night of the Demon, One Helluva Night, Father of Time and Decisions. As the second single from the album, One Helluva Night, was released, Riley and Cook left the 10

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band, to be replaced by Chris Ellis and Les Hunt, respectively.

Buoyed by the interest and critical acclaim that the first album had received, the new look line-up decamped to Bray Studios, fabled home of Hammer Films, early in 1982, to record their second album, The Unexpected Guest. Even today, two decades on, people still talk about The Unexpected Guest in reverential terms, many citing it as one of the most powerful and finest examples of its genre. Certainly, it showcased the band’s distinctive musical stylings and the thoughtful, imaginative lyrics of Dave Hill and Mal Spooner. The addition of Andy Richards on keyboards gave yet more depth to the already expansive Demon sound. Furthermore, this second LP offering was more complete, flowing easily from beginning to end, demonstrating that the band had progressed and grown during the previous year. In July of 1982 another single, Have We Been Here Before? was released and the band hit the road for a series of live promotional gigs.

The live shows of this era were something to behold. Straight out of the schlock-horror handbook, each performance guaranteed a gorefest of stomach-churning intensity. For Night of the Demon Dave would don a latex Demon costume and horned Devil mask, giving the impression that he was taking his annual holiday from the ninth circle of Hell. The stage was appropriately adorned with all manner of funereal trappings and monumental masonry, including an open grave, blowing leaves and two, giant, white crucifixes! Later in the show, Dave would appear, in all his hideously wrinkled glory, first as the ‘Father of Time’, and then as the Madman pictured on the gatefold sleeve of The Unexpected Guest. Naturally, the rest of the band was not excluded from sharing their bloodletting tendencies with the assembled throng. Les Hunt was known, on occasion, to bleed

profusely from the multiple puncture wounds in his arms. What is more, all of this was performed to some of the loudest, heaviest heavy rock of the time. Since both Alice Cooper and KISS had foresworn make-up, costumes and ghoulish accessories, Demon was widely held to be the hottest live ticket in town.

It had seemed, in 1982, that musically, lyrically and visually, Demon were in the fast lane to the top, just as stadium rock was becoming de rigeur. Had Carrere Records had the vision and the cojones to invest in Team Demon, their music, their style and their consummate professionalism would, surely, have seen them go stratospheric – but it was not to be. Carrere Records, being both hearing and visually impaired, turned down the demos for The Plague, bemoaning the lack of single material. The band, not about to be compromised, in any way, parted company with Carrere. Demon stayed with manager Mike Stone and Clay Records. Their first two albums had shown their talents musically and lyrically and their live performances had clearly demonstrated that it was no fluke. If anything, they were better live than on vinyl. Their third album would be released by Clay Records in the UK and a deal was struck with Atlantic in the US. In June 1983, The Plague hit the racks. It was not the monsters and demons fare of the first two releases. As Dave Hill said in a contemporary interview: “I think we did the devil stuff proud, but this band has always had more to offer than that.” Not only did The Plague mark a definite change in musical direction, with more space being given to the keyboards, whilst maintaining Mal Spooner’s hardedged guitar riffs, lyrically it was less dark – but no less sharp. Tales of nightmarish visions of a subterranean inferno were subtly replaced with visions of an alternative Hell, one more real and sharply defined – the selfish, consumerist, society of the early ’80s. The keenly observed lyrics of The Plague combined with a wonderfully balanced and produced musical tour-de-force, to deliver what is generally considered to be a classic album, not just of its type, but of any type. Packaged in a gatefold sleeve with wonderfully cynical, pencil drawings of a decaying, Thatcherite Britain in pre-1984 decline, The Plague should have been a massive success. Alas, although, The Plague reached number two in the Heavy Metal charts and made the UK Top 50, and the title track was released as a single, true success still eluded them. As Andy Richards, Chris Ellis and Les Hunt all left to pursue other avenues. Demon entered a period of transition.

Unfortunately, this period of transition would prove to be a traumatic time for everyone connected with the band. Demon had, undoubtedly, created a large cult following with their first three recordings and pressure mounted for a fourth album. Steve Watts joined as resident keyboard wizard, Gavin Sutherland filled in on bass and, a friend of Mals, John Waterhouse, added another guitar to the sound. A single, Wonderland, from the forthcoming album and featuring the new line-up, was released in December 1984. However, unknown to fans, Mal had become progressively more ill during late 1984 and his condition deteriorated during the recording of, what would eventually see the light of day as, British Standard Approved.

Tragically, Mal succumbed to pneumonia and passed away on December 10th 1984, just seven days after completing recording.

‘BSA’ was eventually released in April 1985, as a tribute to Mal. A remix of Wonderland was released in July 1985 and, whilst Demon would still record some of their finest work in the years to come, Heart of Our Time, released in December 1985, clearly shows a band experimenting. They needed to see if they could continue, following the loss of co-founder and mainstay of the original line-up, Mal Spooner. Nevertheless, the signs were promising. Dave struck up a writing partnership, with new keyboard player Steve Watts, and with Andy Dale joining on bass, the band took to the road to play some live dates, during 1986.

During the first half of 1987, The Unexpected Guest was rereleased and, in June 1987, a new album, Breakout was released, demonstrating the power of the new band and the efficacy of the Hill/Watts writing collaboration. Songs such as Life on the Wire, England’s Glory, Standing in the Shadows, Big Chance and the title track, Breakout clearly defined the quality of this latest incarnation.

Yet another change in attitude and direction was evident, with the lyrics focusing on more contemporary topics, such as war, politics, drug use, consumerism and patriotism. Musically, the new recordings retained the heavy atmosphere, suffused with subtlety, of the traditional Demon sound, and featured some magnificent arrangements, massively dynamic soundscapes and epic ballads.

The stability that had been created during recording of Breakout was retained when drummer John Wright left the fold and was replaced

by Scot Crawford, and even enhanced when John Waterhouse was joined on guitar by Steve Brookes, formerly of punk band Discharge.

A well-received German tour in November 1987, and steady sales of ‘Breakout’, resulted in the band touring Britain for the first time in more than a year.

Mike Stone’s careful licensing of Demon material, over the years, had meant that, unlike many of their contemporaries, Demon had actually retained the rights to their recordings. Consequently, they were able to re-release Night of the Demon early in 1988, as well as a new single, Tonight (The Hero is Back).

In March 1989, Nick Bushell, another Discharge refugee, took over from Andy Dale on bass and Demon Feedback, an information newsletter was established to keep fans, worldwide, apprised of the band’s movements. In June 1989, Taking the World by Storm was released to much critical acclaim, eventually winning Which CD? Magazine’s ‘Best Heavy Metal CD of 1989 award. Dave Hill and Steve Watts had, by now, formed a writing partnership of immense proportions, developing the thought-provoking themes, debuted on Breakout. The opening track, Blue Skies in Red Square is particularly poignant, coinciding with the fall of the Berlin Wall, so much so, that it even made the regional news broadcasts on November 22nd 1989.

The August 1990 release, One Helluva Night – Live in Germany showcased the latest line-up in a 15 track live tour-de-force, recorded at the Rockfabrik in Ludwigsburg on December 10th 1989. It also featured one of Hill/Watts most moving songs, the epic Remembrance Day. The track, from Taking the World by Storm, was rendered all the more emotional because of the date of the recording – five years to the day since the death of Mal Spooner. Towards the end of 1990, the band were invited back to Radio 1 to record another BBC session for Tommy Vance’s Friday Rock Show. Almost 10 years had elapsed since their first visit but the band performed a stunning set consisting of; The Lion’s Share, Don’t Break the Circle, No More Hell on Earth, and Commercial Dynamite, previewing three new songs from their forthcoming album Hold On to the Dream.

Hold On to the Dream was released in April 1991 (as an 11-track LP and 12″ single combination, or CD) and features one of the band’s strongest-ever epics, No More Hell on Earth. The stylistic change that been apparent on Breakout and Taking the World by Storm’ was continued on Hold on to the Dream, with the themes of drugs, politics, social commentary and general reflections on life, much to the fore. However, in spite of the excellent production on some finely crafted songs, the usual apathy of the UK music press persisted, and their perennial neglect of anything associated with Demon (with the notable exceptions already mentioned) continued, and the dream remained unfulfilled.

In May 1992, Blow-Out was released, showing the encouraging Malta Doom Metal Fest

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development in the writing partnership between Dave Hill and Steve Brookes. In spite of some strong songs, good production and a more nineties sound, the almost prophetically titled recording, went unnoticed by virtually everyone. The poor sales resulted in the band losing its record deal and, with the exception of Dave Hill’s solo album, Welcome to the Real World in 1994, Blow-Out remained the last release of new material to date for some time. As Dave Hill said in an interview in 1998: “After ‘Blow-Out’ we simply needed a break…’

No one expected that break to last for almost four years, but it did.

The band members all found other projects to occupy their time and it wasn’t until Mike Stone received an enquiry from a German promoter, in 1997, that the band felt the need to regroup. So, on 13th September 1997, Demon took to the stage once again, to rapturous applause, as they played the Bang Your Head Festival in Tübingen, Germany. The German fans and music press were suitably impressed and Demon were convinced that the spark was still there and that it was, after all, worth giving it another shot, with or without the support of the UK music press!

Demon has entered the 21st Century with a new-found optimism and a great line-up of talented musicians. Some new names provide an injection of new blood whilst some older, more familiar names, provide continuity with the past. Demon would not be Demon without Dave Hill on vocals and he remains the only original member to have appeared in each line-up of the band. Steve Brookes also returned on guitar and Andy Dale made a welcome re-appearance on bass and backing vocals. As for the new boys, John Cotterill on drums, combined with Andy Dale to provide as strong a rhythm section as you will find anywhere, Duncan Hanssel filled the keyboard wizard slot, whilst Ray Walmsley provided all the guitar-hero antics you could wish for.

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Following a series of UK warm-up gigs in May and June 2000, they headed off to Scandinavia to perform in front of 10,000 screaming fans, at a Swedish Open Air Festival, in June. They played the festival because Swedish fans had voted for Demon, in that nation’s music press, as the band that they would most like to see live. So impressed were the band, with the fans, that as a thank you, they played an impromptu ‘unplugged’ set at the campsite, the day after their appearance on the main stage. Further UK gigs, and an appearance at the Wacken festival, in Germany, on August 5th brought them more much-needed exposure.

Towards the end of October 2000 Demon ventured into the studio to lay down tracks for their 11th recording, Spaced Out Monkey. A new sound, a new attitude and a fresh approach led to what Mike Stone simply described as ‘The Demon album’. “This is the one”, he says.

Release in the spring of 2001, Spaced Out Monkey is harder, heavier and focused with a precision that is awe-inspiring. This release echoed many of the albums that have gone before and takes the best parts from each. It displayed the freshness of Night of the Demon, the sheer power of The Unexpected Guest, the focus of The Plague, the lyrical genius of Breakout, the soaring soundscapes of Taking the World by Storm and the absolute majesty of Hold on to the Dream. With this new found zest for engaging studio material, the band continued to release more trialblazing recorded output –resulting in three more Demon albums of the highest calibre – Better the Devil You Know (2005), Unbroken (2012) and the most recent full-length, Cemetary Junction (2016) – proving that the band has retained its penchant for great tunes and awesome song-writing, while still touring and playing the best heavy metal and hard rock festivals worldwide. The Demon lives!

Formed in 1989 by by David Parland and Joakim Sterner and inspired by a Slayer song with the same title for their band name, from the band’s earliest days its mission has been to concoct a dark and uncompromising form of death metal that often combines other influences including black and thrash metal. After three demos and a 7” EP titled The Call released on Wild Rags Records (USA), the band released its seminal and now legendary debut album The Nocturnal Silence in 1993 on the hallowed label - Black Mark Productions (Sweden), which as any metal conoisseur will know was also home to Bathory, Memento Mori, Tad Morose and Morgana Lefay amongst many other genre defining bands.

Necophobic’s association with Black Mark, continued throughout the release of the band’s next brace of full-lengths – namely, Darkside (1997) and The Third AntiChrist (1999). A move to Hammerheart Records accompanied the band’s fourth full-length album Bloodhymns (2002), while 2006 saw the band start an association with Regain Records for their fifth and widely acclaimed album Hrimthursum (2006) album and the even more positively applauded Death to all album (2009). The Womb of Lilithu (2013) album saw the band seeking new pastures with Season of Mist Records, with another move ascertained for 2017’s Pesta EP and the curshing new full-length Mark of the Necrogram (2018) – both released on Century Media Records.

Written over many black moons in 2017, Mark of the Necrogram finds Necrophobic lancing the wounds of Womb of Lilithu for a darker, more incisive sound. Sterner likens it a restoration of the Death to All sound with more grotesque twists and monstrous turns. In fact, the long-standing pounder pontificates that it’s Necrophobic’s most dynamic and varied offering to date. Songs like ‘Odium Caecum,’ ‘From the Great Above to the Great Below,’ ‘Requiem for a Dying Sun,’ and ‘Pesta’—a song that introduced the Stockholmites to their new label, Century Media—demonstrate Necrophobic not lost their touch. Rather, the Swedes have widened their spheres of influence.

“As always, I am the filter who ensures that the songs will sound like Necrophobic,” affirms Joakim Sterner. “Sebastian is the main songwriter. His ideas come to life as full-blown entities. He seldom puts a bunch of riffs together. He does not ‘sit down to write.’ The whole spirit of the song and sometimes even the lyrics come to life at once. Then, he has to transform [his creations] into the formula of a Necrophobic song. In the old days, death metal bands used to pile on riffs, one after the other. Making great but not logical music.

We do the opposite. The recipe of verse—bridge—verse—prechorus—chorus—bridge—solo—pre-chorus—double chorus is very effective. The songs are, most of the time, finished in full when the rest of the band hears them for the first time.”

To give Necrophobic’s first metal since pope Benedict XVI resigned and Slayer’s Jeff Hanneman passed a bit of occult weight, Sterner and squad excavated deep into the destruction of life (at the very ends of it), re-imagined invocations from Sumerian stone tablets, and explored Nordic mythology. They were also inspired—think the Soviet RDS-220—by their recent invasion of Russia. But the biggest challenge was inserting the lyrical timeline into Death to All’s three segments, chiefly between The Summoning and Triumph of the Horned. To say Necrophobic traveled intensely on their maleficent crusade to rebirth is an understatement.“The lyrical theme on Mark of the Necrogram continues where the album Death to All ended,” the band reveals. “The lyrics for the song ‘Mark of the Necrogram’ can be set on a timeline between ‘Revelation 666’ and ‘Triumph of the Horned‘. We created dark poems that match the ferocity of the songs. But we are not fans of explaining every word or line either. That’s up to the listener.”

Necrophobic recorded the Mark of the Necrogram at Chrome Studios with co-producer and former guitarist Fredrik Folkare (Firespawn, Unleashed) between the months of October and November. While the Swedes had abused Chrome Studios in the past to mix and master Death to All, Womb of Lilithu, and Hrimthursum, they decided to hunker down in Folkare’s Stockholmbased studio to do all the work on Mark of the Necrogram. The result is an album that hums the music of conquest and stomps the hooves of famine. Ramstedt and Bergebäck’s riffs are refined and predatory, as aggressive (‘Sacrosanct’) as they are sorrowful (‘Tsar Bomba’).

The rhythm section of Sterner and Friberg is also unmatched in its Luciferian faculty. Songs like ‘Pesta,’ ‘Lamashtu,’ and the title track are proof that age isn’t a barrier but rather a rayless blessing. As for Strokirk, his 24 years away from Necrophobic—the prodigal son actually guested on Bloodhymns track ‘Blood Anthem’—haven’t diminished his deathly roars, haunting bawls, and wicked rasps.

“We’ve been doing music that feels honest and true to ourselves,” say Necrophobic. “No matter what’s trendy at the moment. No matter how the winds blow. Our music has stayed the same, more or less, but at the same time we have managed to develop our music.

Develop within our region. All bands want to sell more and more albums, so do we, but that is not our goal. If it happens, it happens, but again, we write the music we want to listen to ourselves.”

Indeed, Mark of the Necrogram is Necrophobic. And Necrophobic is Mark of the Necrogram. Make no mistake, the Necrogram sees all, warns all. Join Necrophobic now or die by their spiteful swords.

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Featuring vocalist Eric Wagner and bassist Ron Holzner, formerly of metal legends Trouble, and formed in Chicago, USA in 2012, THE SKULL creates classic Sabbathian doom with a psych-tinged metal vision. The band’s first studio output took the form of a cd single titled Sometime Yesterday Morning accompanied by a cover of the seminal Trouble track The Last Judgement on Tee-Pee Records (USA) in 2014.

The band’s debut For those Which Are Asleep featuring eight blistering tracks of crushing, doom metal followed later during the year (also on Tee Pee Records) to strong accolades from doom metalheads worldwide.

With strong and convincing shows at important festivals in Europe and the US including Germany’s Hammer of Doom fest and Barcelona Doom Days, the band’s meteoric rise amongst the finest bands in doom metal’s pantheon continued with their self-titled 2016 EP, featuring a brace of new tracks The Longing and New Generation, a live rendition of the epic track from the debut When the Sun turns Black and two further Trouble cover that also often feature in The Skull’s live set (The Skull and Assassin).

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The respected group’s sophomore full-length, The Endless Road Turns Dark, scheduled for release in September 2018 benefits greatly from the pedigree and experience of the band’s members and pushes authentic, old-school metal to heavier and more foreboding places, fueled by burly riffing, metallic groove and a crushing punch. Ethereal and wonderfully moody with a heart of heavy metal beating at its center, the record delivers definitive doom metal full of powerful builds and mesmerizing dynamic range. More than a mere throwback, The Endless Road Turns Dark is the work of a band that respects their fans, understands their own history, and still has their ears open to the current doom metal landscape. A wicked exercise in heavy metal majesty, The Endless Road Turns Dark plays like a natural extension of the musicians exemplary work during their 20-plus years with Trouble and cements The Skull as modern day doom metal royalty. Apart from former Trouble legends Wagner on vocals, and Holzer on bass, the Skull also feature Rob Wrong (from stoner/doom stalwarts Witch Mountain) on guitars, Lothar Keller from Divininty Compromised amongst others also on guitar and former Catherdral drummer Brian Dixon – all doom metal royalty indeed.

Ancient Rites was created at the end of the 80s. All members played in other bands before rooted in the early 80s HM but also pioneering in the first wave of Black and other extreme Metal genres. When the band was formed, their musical style and the entire concept of occult and historically inspired lyrics were far from being popular. It was when Glam and Alternative were dominant. Still, a local following called the Ancient Rites Death Militia was built up.The line-up consisted of Johan and Philip (guitars), Stefan (drums) and Gunther (bass/vocals).

Throughout their existence, Ancient Rites confronted lots of misfortune: boycotts, bomb threats, hostile anti-Black Metal audiences in an age when none of the few existing BM bands were touring, ripped off for large amounts of money by labels and promoters, members ending up in hospital or dying. However this hardship turned into motivation.

In May 96, Bart left the band which made the band a duo (Walter & Gunther) working with session musicians, including guitarists of bands like Pentacle, Absu, Katatonia, Swordmaster and Luciferian.

One year later the Dark Ritual demo was released and spread throughout the underground worldwide, by old-fashioned regular mail as was done in those days. Soon after, Philip died in a car accident, Stefan was replaced by drum roadie Walter (Stefan took his own life) and Johan decided to leave the Metal scene. Pascal and Bart (guitars) joined and the Evil Prevails EP (92) was recorded and released through the band’s own label Fallen Angel Records as initially no one was interested in signing a band in their style.

Although rooted in Flanders (Belgium) Ancient Rites slowly became an international act. Musicians from Holland, Finland, Germany and Belgium contributed to the third album entitled Fatherland (recorded February/March 98). The album’s line-up included Erik (exInquisitor, guitars), Jan “Örkki”Yrlund (ex-Prestige/Two Witches/ Lacrimosa, guitars), Walter (drums) and Gunther (bass/vocals). The First Decade 1989-1999 compilation album was released to celebrate the band’s 10th anniversary. Ancient Rites moved from Mascot to Hammerheart Records for a fourth full length entitled Dim Carcosa, recorded in winter 2000/2001. The album entered the independent Dutch charts at 9th place. More line-up changes occurred when Domingo Smets (ex-Renaissance/Agathocles, keyboards) was replaced by Davy Wouters (ex-Oblivion). The Live CD/DVD And The Hordes Stood As One saw the light of day in 2003. Guitarist Bart Vandereycken made his unexpected return to replace Jan Yrlund.

The Rubicon album also marked the return of two other former band members: guitarist Raf Jansen (who played with Ancient Rites during the Blasfemia Eternal tour) and Domingo Smets on bass guitar.

Gunther decided to concentrate on vocal duties in Ancient Rites.

This D.I.Y attitude and tape trading spread the band’s name. The Evil Prevails sessions were released through several other record companies such as Wild Rags (USA) and the Columbian label Warmaster. Pascal left the band when joining the Navy. As a three piece, Ancient Rites released several split Eps, a split LP and appeared on several compilations.

The debut full length album The Diabolic Serenades was released in 1994 through After Dark (CD version) and Midian Creations (LP format). Licensing deals were signed to guarantee a worldwide distribution. After Dark turned out to be a total rip off and eventually ceased to exist leaving no penny for the band that had invested its own money in the recordings, artwork and photo sessions. In 1995, Ancient Rites signed with Dutch Mascot Records and Blasfemia Eternal was released in January 96. The band toured Europe and the U.K. several times and performed with acts such as Deicide, Motörhead, Judas Priest, Cradle Of Filth, Metallica, Dissection, Morbid Angel, S.O.D., Mercyful Fate, Marduk, Impaled Nazarene, Manowar, Sepultura, Venom, Rotting Christ, Guns ’N Roses, Behemoth, Saxon, etc. They also played in the US and Asia.

With this old/new line up combination, the band released an album entitled Rubicon through Season Of Mist. Today, the band consists of Walter Van Cortenberg (drums), Erik Sprooten (guitars), Domingo Smets (guitars) and Gunther Theys (vocals). The band’s latest album Laguz (Massacre Records) was released in 2015. Ancient Rites’ journey is a long one - distanced from trends and often against all odds. Ancient Rites fans - known as the Ancient Hordes or more recently as Leg I (A) XVIII (R), in keeping with the band’s historical concept remain fiercely loyal and underline the strong and spontaneous bond between the band and their public, untouched by commercialism or trends.

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Castle was forged in San Francisco in 2009 and released their debut full-length, In Witch Order, on Germany’s Ván Records in 2011. The album brought light to the newly-formed band and earned them “Album Of The Year” honors from Metal Hammer Norway, as well as Roadburn Festival’s “Newcomer Of The Year.” Shortly thereafter, the band joined the Prosthetic Records roster in North America and released their critically-adored sophomore album Blacklands. The record led to a Canadian JUNO nomination for “Metal/Hard Music Album Of The Year.” Castle performed over two-hundred shows worldwide in support of the release alongside the likes of The Sword, Conan, Intronaut, and Pentagram among many others as well as appearances at some of the underground’s largest fests including Roadburn, and the London and Berlin Desertfests.

Since the release of Welcome to the Graveyard, Castle, which consists of vocalist/bassist Elizabeth Blackwell, guitarist/vocalist Mat Davis and drummer Al McCartney, have maintained a relentless touring schedule with back to back headlining tours of the US in July and August followed by a cross Canadian headlining trek, a month long European tour and the bands first ever tour of Japan. Expect further upcoming tour announcements in the coming months.

Legendary American Power Metal band Damian Thorne were established in Chicago in 1983 and are considered to be pioneers of the US variant of the genre. Presently geaturing founding member and guitarist Ken Mandat, Warren Halvarson - Vocals, Rick Browz - Bass, Mike Browz - Drums, and Brian Buxbaum – Keyboards, Damien Thorne released their hallowed debut album titled The Sign of the Jackal in early 1986 on Roadrunner Records. In support of the album the band went on tour with several major bands across the US. The album is condsidered to be one of the main flagbearers and genre defining moments of 80s US metal.

Other releases include Wrath of Darkness (2001), Haunted Mind (2005) and End of the Game (2011).

Wrath of Darkness was originally recorded in 1987 but only saw the light of day in 2001 when the band regrouped with new found zest and energy. The band has both headlined and played support roles in several metal festivals across the US and Europe, and released their latest full length album “Soul Stealer” in 2015. An exciting, talented band with influences from classic bands such as Black Sabbath, Dio, and Iron Maiden.

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Established in 1991, Forsaken released their debut demo “Requiem” toward the end of that same year. In 1993 the band signed to Arkham Productions (France) for the release of a 7″ Ep entitled Virtues of Sanctity. Between Feb – March 1994, together with French thrash metal band Oddmongers, the band toured France and Spain to promote the Ep’s release. Forsaken moved to local label Storm Records for their debut full-length Evermore (1997). The band returned to Temple Studios (Malta) to record a cover version of Neon Knights, which was featured in the Black Sabbath MK II (Dio-era) tribute called Dehumanized Witch (MidWest Metal Records – USA, released in 2000). In 2002 the band released a three-track promo demo, which attracted considerable label interest. In the same year, the band signed to Golden Lake Productions (Scotland, UK) and released their much celebrated Iconoclast Ep totalling circa 35mins. Forsaken’s productive association with Golden Lake Productions saw the band releasing two more full length albums on cd - Anima Mundi in 2004 and Dominaeon in 2005. Earlier in 2005, Golden Lake released a remastered version of the band’s Evermore debut album on cd. All these albums were also released on DLP on Germany’s Immortal Vinyl Records throughout the same period.

With the famed Polish artist Jowita Kaminska (Exodus, Manilla Road, Emerald, Dantesco, Attacker etc) handling cover artwork duties, Dominaeon has been applauded by various critics as one of the milestones in contemporary doom metal, even clinching the No 1 spot in December 2005’s studio test by Heavy Mag (Germany). The band responded to this undisputed hallmark in its discography with the equally enthralling yet perhaps more primal After the Fall – released in 2009 on Sweden’s I Hate Records on both CD and vinyl format and gathered strong reactions in Malta and worldwide. The band was quick to follow up After the Fall with the release of a 12” Split EP titled Tales of Doom and Woe

with Finland’s Fall of the Idols (on vinyl only) on the same label in 2010. After a long hiatus in studio output Forsaken unleashed a new concept album (the band’s fifth full-length) titled Pentateuch in October 2017 on Denmark’s highly reputed Mighty Music Records.

Over their many years of plying their trade on stage, Forsaken built a strong reputation as a powerful and emotionally charged live doom act. Apart from countless local gigs and their miniEuropean tour in 1994, the band played in various reputable heavy metal festivals all over Europe including, the first and fifth editions of the Doom Shall Rise festival (2003, 2007 Germany), the Headbangers Open Air festival VII ( 2004, Germany), Keep it True V (2005, Germany), Elements of Rock Festival (2007,Switzerland), Dutch Doom Days Festival (2007, Netherlands), Doom Metal Inquisition ( July 2008, Bradford, England), Cross Music Metalfest (October 2008, Friedewald, Germany), Day of Doom (November 2008, Dortmund, Germany), Brainstorm Festival (November 2009, Netherlands), Hammer of Doom festival (October 2011, Wurzburg, Germany), Neuborn Open Air festival (August, 2012, Germany), Play it Doom Festival (Brescia, Italy, January, 2015 and followed up with another gig in Italy at the Nero Extrema Club at Reggio Calabria in April 2015), Dordrecht Doom Day (May, 2015, Netherlands), Spring Doom Depression Festival (April, 2016, Vienna, Austria).

Forsaken also supported NWOBHM legends Angel Witch in the latter’s show in Malta in May, 2014 and appeared in five editions of Malta’s foremost heavy metal festival – MDM (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014) since the festival’s inception in 2009 and other leading rock and heavy metal festivals on the Island including the highly reputed Metal Over Malta (2017), Shellshock festival, XMA, Notte Bianca and the Farsons Beerfest. Forsaken featured at Poland’s Rock Hard Ride Free festival in June 2016 together Malta Doom Metal Fest

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with NWOBHM giants Saxon and Raven and seminal Swedish band Candlemass alongside other notable bands including Primal Fear (Germany) and Behemoth (Poland). Towards the end of 2016, Forsaken marked their 25th anniversary with a remarkable show featuring all the band’s former member at Chateux Buskett together with local thrash legends X-Vandals (Albert’s former band) and English stalwarts Arkham Witch. 2017 saw the band re-visiting their fans in Calabria, Italy for a one-off show with Thrashers Nuclear Detonation. A long-awaited visited to Hellas for a three-way show with Hellenic epic metal giants Reflection and Achelous (both forming part of Forsaken’s extended true metal family in Greece and beyond) was undertaken successfully

in May, 2017. 2018 saw the band undertaking important local gigs including support Sweden giants Candlemass at the House of Doom show at Aria in June 2018 and headlining the metal stage at the Farsons beer fest in July. The band’s current line-up reads: Leo Stivala (Vocals), Sean Vukovic (Guitars), Albert Bell (Bass) and Simeon Gatt (Drums). In 2001, one of the band’s longest-serving members, Daniel Magri (Guitars) sadly passed away after a long battle against Cancer. Forsaken clinched the MMA (Malta Music Awards) Best Heavy Rock/Heavy metal band award twice – in 2003 and 2009 and were also nominated for the same award in 1997.

Officium Triste was formed in April 1994 with the purpose of creating slow, heavy and melodic doom/death metal. Inspiration was mainly found within the music of bands like Paradise Lost, Anathema, Chorus of Ruin, My Dying Bride, Celestial Season and Katatonia.

In 2011 the band recorded the album Mors Viri. This album was released by Hammerheart Records in 2013. In 2012 the band recorded two new songs that appear on a split CD with Germany’s Ophis. This CD, entitled Immersed was released by Spain’s Memento Mori also in 2012. Another split cd with Chile’s Lapsus Dei titled Broken Memories was released on the Chilean label Australis Records in August 2018.

After a demo and self-financed 7” EP the debut full-length Ne Vivam was released in 1997. After a split MCD with Cold Mourning from the USA in 1998 the band quit, to return after 7 months realizing a wrong decision was made. A promotional recording done in 2000 drew the attention of Displeased Records and the band released three full-length album on the Dutch label, namely, The Pathway in 2001, Reason in 2004 and Giving Yourself Away in 2007.

Meanwhile, the band had some line-up changes, but the band always emerged stronger as a unit. In 2009 the band celebrated their 15th anniversary with a compilation album Charcoal Hearts-15 Years of Hurt also released on Displeased Records.

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In 2014 Officium Triste celebrated their 20th anniversary. Through the years the band has shared the stage with famous acts like Candlemass, Anathema and Swallow the Sun and appeared on festivals like Doom Shall Rise and Madrid is the Dark. The band’s current line-up includes Martin Kwakernaak- Keyboards, Gerard de Jong- Lead guitar, Theo Plaisier- Bass, William van Dijk- Rhythm guitar, Niels Jordaan- Drums and Pim Blankenstein- Vocals.

For over a quarter of a century, Reflection is one of the key bands in Hellenic Epic/Doom Metal. The forceful first years saw the band releasing the demos Before the End (1992) and When Immortals... Die! (1993), with the latter featuring the emblematic self-titled song that remains a popular mainstay in Reflection shows. As consequent steps, the now three times sold out Sire of the Storm 7 EP (1995) and The Fire Still Burns CD (1999) were released, establishing the band in the Greek heavy metal landscape. Enter new millennium and the band releases the Realms of the Night split CD (2001, with Innerwish), The Fire Still Burns-2001 Edition” CD (2001) and the highly lauded concept album Odyssey (2003).

For the next album and the band’s next chapter, after having gradually ingested many Doom Metal elements in their music, the dynamics of the band were massively augmented with the recruitment of none other than the roaring voice of the Maltese metal scene, Leo Stivala, singer of the legendary Maltese doomsters Forsaken. In 2008 Reflection signed contract with the Italian record company Cruz Del Sur and released“When Shadows Fall”, an album containing very dark atmosphere and delving deep into epic doom metal soundscapes. This album was the reason for Reflection’s first visit to Malta in a night that will not be forgotten with Nomad Son and Dawn Of Anguish. 2013 and Leo Stivala leaves Reflection to concentrate to Forsaken, something that leads to the recruitment of George Thomaidis. In 2017 the band released Bleed Babylon Bleed with the Cypriot label Pitch Black Records to widespread acclaim and making in in many top lists for 2017 in Greece and abroad.

By being primary a live band, Reflection brings the Epic/Doom essence of their albums on stage with such persuasive manner that no one can ignore. Reflection has performed and headlined numerous live shows and participated in several festivals. Also, the band has joined forces on stage with world famous acts like Solitude Aeturnus, Tokyo Blade, Brocas Helm, Demon, Paul Di Anno, Wotan and many more.

Circle of Witches is an Italian Heavy Metal band with stoner roots, formed in 2004 by Mario Bove (guitars, vocals). Since its inception and while going through various line-up changes, the band released extensive demo material, two full length albums – The Holy Man’s Girlfriend released in 2007 and 2014’s Rock the Evil and two Eps. Circle of Witches have also managed to play hundreds of club shows across the whole of Europe, establishing their position as one of the most hardworking underground acts in the genre.

In 2012 the band played two European tours during which they visited Italy, England, Austria and recorded one studio live video. One year later, in June of 2013, the band entered MP recording studios in Poland, together with producer Bart Gabriel (Sacred Steel, Crystal Viper, Burning Starr) and sound engineer Mariusz Pietka (Lonewolf, Sabaton, Mortician). This recording session resulted in making of the massive sounding Rock The Evil album, which brings bunch of high octane, energetic songs, combining Stoner Rock, classic Hard Rock and even Metal. The album has been released on February the 15th 2014 by Slovenian label Metal Tank Records. Circle of Witches also signed a deal with several European agencies for booking and management worldwide. During 2015, the band shared the stage as opener act for two metal legends, Doro Pesch and Udo Dirkschneider during their respective Russian tours and played in European Festivals along with Dark Tranquillity, Decapitated and Melechesh amongst others. In 2016, the band recorded their upcoming Natural Born Sinners album, produced by Alex Azzali (Ancient, Cataract, Secret Sphere) and co-produced by the extreme metal drummer Nicholas Barker (Cradle of Filth, Dimmu Borgir, Brujeria).

This album is expected to see the light of day this year.

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Achelous was born in Athens in January 2011 and founded

by Chris Achelous as a one man project. After the release of 2 demos pursuing an atmospheric extreme sound it was time for the project to evolve. It was November of 2013 when exRecflection singer Chris Kappas, joined forces and made Achelous a band. In April of 2014 the band released its first demo tape Al Iskandar. Al Iskandar was sold out (500 copies) in a three month period. At the end of 2014 the band entered “The Music House” studio in order to record its first EP with the title The Cold Winds Of Olympus. The EP got very positive reviews giving the band time to promote it by playing all over Athens in clubs like Arhitektoniki, Kytaro, Modu, Crow, Remedy, etc.

Over the past year the band has been working on a much anticipated new full length album at Music House Studio under the guidance of Stathis Pavlantis. The album shall be titled Macedon and is expected to be released this year and like the EP before it will continue to see the band explore and delve deep into Epic metal pathways with a stong Hellenic feel.

Black Oath was founded in 2006 by a.th (inspired by dark music and the world beyond). Over the years the band has built a strong reputation for great studio material and impressive live shows. Black Oath have shared the stage across Europe with various notable bands including Candlemass, Rotting Christ, Ghost, Pentagram, Girlschool and Procession. It took two years for the band to get into the studio and the band’s first release (a self titled MCD) saw the light of day in 2009 (Subject to Suffering Records, USA).

After one year, Horror Records from Denmark signed the band and released an EP titled Portrait of the Dead and then the vinyl version of the first full length, The Third Aeon in 2011. A European tour followed and appearances at various festivals including Hammer of Doom (Germany) and Dutch Doom Days. The band’s debut full-length was also released in cd format by I Hate Records (Sweden) in 2011.

After a couple of 7“EPS released in 2011, the band returned to the 20

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studio and recorded Ov Qliphoth and Darkness (Horror Records/I Hate Records, 2013) featuring guest appearance from Sebastian (Nifelheim/Necrophobic), Jonas from Procession and Andy from Italian legends Bulldozer.

2013 was a busy year for the band on the live front, with another appearance at Metal Magic fest for the second time and more shows in Belgium, Italy, Sweden, Holland and Germany. Black Oath entered the studio again in 2015 to record the widely acclaimed album To Below and Beyond (Doomentia/Terror from Hell Records), containing 55 minutes of dark and obscure heavy/doom metal - a concept album about alchemy, mysticism and the fall of men! ln 2016, ten years after the band’s foundation, the band released an EP titled Litanies in the Dark containing old, previously unreleased tracks (Terror from Hell Records/Elektroplasma). A new full-length titled Behold the Abyss is expected for later this year!

Victims of Creation is a Maltese band with a very heavy down-tuned sound combining both old-school Doom/Death and slow sludgey elements.

Although the band was officially born in 1992 with founder members Rex and Dino, VOC feel that what it represents today, all started in 2008 when AJ Burd, with whom both Rex and Dino played back then in local Deathmetal act Lithomancy and an interesting project called Tree, was recruited on guitars. Some time after, Daniel Bartolo, guitarist also for another project Rex and Dino have with the name of Griffin Device, was recruited also as the second guitarist. Daniel has since been replaced by Emanuel Portelli (also from Animamortua, Thy Legion and ex-Sepia).

VOC played at the first edition of MDM in 2009 (returning back on stage after a long hiatus), 2010, 2011, 2013 (Debut gig for new guitarist Emanuel Portelli) and 2014. In 2011 the band signed a record deal with with the German label Cyclone Empire, with the band’s debut album Symmetry of Our Plagued Existence finally released in April 2013 and launched during the last edition of Doom Shall Rise VIII in Germany where the band received a very good response.

VOC also played in other local festivals such as They Brought Death and Eternal Doom (Chapter III), the Malta Death Fest IIIi, the 2nd edition of Metal Over Malta (where Septic Flesh played amongst others) and Rock the Rock (right before Entombed A.D.!). On foreign soil, apart from the launch in Germany (at DSR III), the band was part of Dutch Doom Days festival XIII (with Orange Goblin and the mighty St Vitus!), the 4th edition of the great Metal Days festival in Tolmin Slovenia with Weeping Silence (billing included Incantation, At the Gates, Electric Wizard, Kreator, Testament and Immolation) and in 2017, went on the very first ever tour named Till Doom Do Us Part together with German band Calliophis playing in various cities in Germany, Czech Republic and the Netherlands. VOC are currently working on their 2nd album at present which will hopefully be released very soon.

The band is also planning some new dates abroad in the near future, including a mini-tour to promote the album.

Formed on 12th July 2010, 12th Ode started off as a classic rock band made up of 5 Maltese guys coming from different generations. The band shifted towards a more traditional Heavy Metal sound as years went by. Influences include the likes of Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Thin Lizzy, Black Sabbath, Saxon and others. After playing various gigs across the Island, 2013 marked 12th Ode’s very first appearance at the Malta Doom Metal festival with a line up that boasted the likes of The Prophecy, Doomshine, Nomad Son and Dark Quarterer amongst others. In 2014 the band played at the MDM festival warm up gig.

In 2015 the band released the full length debut album entitled The Awakening. The band showcased this self-released album during

the official launch gig held on the 16th of October 2015 and also the following week during the MDM festival alongside bands such as Venom Inc. Nomad Son,Tysondog,Stonegriff and Iron Void.2016 was also significant for 12th Ode. Following a supporting act slot with Diamond Head, the band announced the recruitment of young Owen Grech on guitar and experienced bassist Gino Micallef, formerly of High ‘n’ Dry and The Characters, thus keeping its blend of experience and youth.

Writing even more heavier stuff, the band showcased its new line-up in May of 2017 supporting legendary rockers Krokus. A welcome return to the MDM warm- up gig ensued. The band will be hitting the studio to start recording the second album in Autumn 2018.

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History in the making!

Dark Quarterer 2009

Forsaken - Nomad Son 2010

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Pagan Altar 2011 Place of Sculls 2016

Manilla Road 2014

Venom Inc. 2015

Master 2016

Photos by: Erika Wallberg, Emma Mifsud, Katrina Von Rose (Bloodography), Alexia Baldacchino (Loudpix) & Stefano Vella

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Dark Quarterer 2013

Desaster 2017

Hell 2017

The Doomsday Kingdom 2017

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Sylvain Auvé (1969 - 2018)

Mark “The Shark” Shelton (1957-2018)

“EMBRACE THE ETERNAL LIGHT” Sylvain Auvé (drums) was one of the founding members of French outfit R.I.P. in 1987. A rehearsal demo tape exists from that era. Between 1994 and 1995 the band changed its name to Northwinds, releasing the eponymous demo in 1995. The band released the first full length album, titled Great God Pan in 1998 which was followed by Masters Of Magic in 2001, Chimeres in 2005. In 2015 the band released their fourth album titled Winter and a split with fellow French outfit Marble Chariot. In July 2015 Northwinds released Eternal Winter. The band played during the 8th edition of The Malta Doom Metal Festival in 2016.

Manilla Road was formed in 1977 with Mark Shelton on guitars and released their first full length album Invasion three years later. In 1992, and, after 7 more albums, namely Metal (1982), Crystal Logic (1983), Open The Gates (1985), The Deluge (1986), Mystification (1987), Out Of The Abyss (1988) and The Courts Of Chaos (1990), the band split and Mark started a new project called The Circus Maximus whose album was released under Manilla Road in 1992. The band reformed in 1994 and till 2018 released 9 more albums – Atlantis Rising (2001), Spiral Castle (2002), Mark Of the Beast (2002), Gates Of Fire (2005), Voyager (2008), Playground Of The Damned (2011), Mysterium (2013), The Blessed Curse (2015) and To Kill A King (2017). Manilla Road headlined the 6th edition of The Malta Doom Metal Festival.

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TRANSPORT Public Transport: Nearest public transport stage to Chateau Buskett (*venue) is called Ta’ Xuxa il-Buskett.

Example journey from Sliema to venue takes around 1.30hrs.

One Time cash ticket from the bus @ €1.50 (valid for 2hrs) (Ticket can be purchased from Vending Machines or from the Driver) Or else use the ‘Tal-linja Card’ More info from the public transport website itself on journey planner section - www.publictransport.com.mt Private Transport: Transportation TO and FROM Festival Prices are as follows: (more info will be communicated during the festival) Mini Bus > One Way From Sliema or Valletta to venue Price €4 Mini Bus > Both Ways From Sliema or Valletta to venue and after from venue to any destination Price €5 Travelling by Taxi Gejxa Garage:- www.gejxagaragemalta.com Tel:- (+356) 21486395 (+356) 99499468 Airport Transfers (Arrival- Airport to hotel – Departure - hotel to airport) Approximate prices: Up to 2 persons round trip: €35 10 persons round trip: €65 To or From Festival Approximate prices: Up to 2 person per trip €20 For more than 2 persons ask price when booking.

ELECTRICITY The electrical supply is 230 volts +/- 10%, 50 hertz.

The three-pin rectangular plug system is used, as in Britain.

Adapters are very easy to find.

LANGUAGE The official languages of Malta are Maltese and English. Maltese, a language of Semitic origin written in the Latin script. Over the centuries, it has incorporated many words deriving from English, Italian and French languages.

Italian is also widely spoken.

DRIVING Important to note that in Malta and Gozo, driving is on the left, like UK. If you intend to rent a car or drive in Malta, it is advisable to take out comprehensive insurance. National or international driving licences are accepted.

CURRENCY Malta currency is Euro (€), since Malta is part of the Europeon Union.

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