Like I mentioned in my best-of 2015 list, the Thisquietarmy gig in the woods at Dunk!Festival was one of most captivating concerts I've seen the past year.  Now you can see exactly why, since Eric published the entire concert on YouTube. I remember it being exciting times because nobody really knew when and if the gig was going to happen because of the weather.  But eventually, the weather gods permitted this piece of magic.  Check it out...

Rock icon Lemmy Kilmister passed away yesterday after a short battle with an aggressive form of cancer.  He learnt about the disease only a few days ago but has indeed been battling with health issues for quite some time.  Lemmy founded Motorhead in 1975, making it one of the few bands who could stand the test of time.  Some of us already thought Lemmy could too but unfortunately that's not the case.

RIP, Lemmy

Greek progressive metalband Sunburst have just released a new video for the song 'Dementia'.  The song comes from the upcoming debut album 'Fragments Of Creation', released on Inner Wound Recordings on 26 February.  The video was directed by Bob Katsionis

"Fragments of Creation" track listing
 
01. Out Of The World
02. Dementia
03. Symbol Of Life
04. Reincarnation
05. Lullaby
06. End Of The Game
07. Beyond The Darkest Sun
08. Forevermore
09. Break The Core
10. Remedy Of My Heart

"Fragments of Creation" [CD + shirt bundle available] can be pre-ordered at the Inner Wound Store: http://www.innerwound.bigcartel.com
 
Sunburst online:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sunburstofficial
 
Inner Wound Recordings online:
Website: http://www.innerwound.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/innerwoundrecordings

Belgian drone-act (and AmenRa frontman) CHVE is touring Europe in 2016 in order to promote his Rasa album.  (read our review here).  On some of the dates, Scott Kelly will play too, for those, check out our previous new item.

13.01. NL-Leiden, Gebroeders de Nobel
14.01. BE-Antwerp, Het Bos
15.01. NL-Tilburg, Pauluskerk 
16.01. BE-Aalst, Netwerk w/ Tine Guns
17.01. BE-Arlon, l'Entrepot
18.01. GER-Karlsruhe, Jubez
19.01. GER-Berlin, Grüner Salon
20.01. CZ-Prague, Klub V. Kolona
21.01. GER-Leipzig, UT Connewitz
22.01. AT-Vienna, Arena
23.01. AT-Bregenz, Between
24.01. CH-Fribourg, Nouveau Monde 
25.01. IT-Torino, Spazio 211
26.01. CH-Olten, Coq d'Or 
27.01. CH-Geneva, L'Usine
28.01. FR-Lille, La Peniche
29.01. FR-Bordeaux, Iboat
30.01. FR-Cannes, MJC Picaud
31.01. IT-Milano, Lo Fi Club
1.02. CH-Zurich, Dynamo
26.02. BE-Gent, KASKcinema
7.04. BE-Kortrijk, De Kreun
5-7.05. BE-Zottegem, Dunkfestival
more to be confirmed..

Icelandic extreme metal act Show Me Wolves have revealed a brand new song from the upcoming album.  The album 'The World They Took Over' will be released by Merdumgiriz on 18 January and it will definitely be a blast.  Below, you can listen to a first track, named 'Tabula Rasa'

Russian black metal horde Blackdeath is about to wreck havoc in Europe this coming January and February.  You can catch them on the following dates:
fr 29.01 Helvete, Oberhausen, Germany (Cultus + support)
sa 30.01 OJC Maddogs, Groesbeek, The Netherlands (Cultus + support)
su 31.01 Musicon, Den Haag, The Netherlands (Cultus + Blackdeath + support)
mo 01.02 Storm Music Club, Decin, Czech Republic (Cultus + Blackdeath + support)
tu 02.02 Rock club Tartaros, Banská Bystrica, Slowakia (Blackdeath + support)
th 04.02 nArauti, Vilnius, Lithuania (Blackdeath + support)
fr 05.02 Howls Of Winter Fest, Tallinn, Estonia (Blackdeath + support)
sa 06.02 Side club, Helsinki, Finland (Blackdeath + support)

Now this is something highly surprising.  Finnish one-man act Jääportit has just released a new video with some unreleased footage.  The surprising aspect on this one is the music.  We, at the Merchants Of Air headquarters, know this act as a brilliant (dark) ambient project and are great fans of his 'Umminesa' album.  However, on this new video, he comes up with a great psychedelic rock piece, coming quite close to post-rock and stoner rock.  Check it out, it's a cool addition to the already diverse oeuvre of Jääportit.

2015 has been a splendid year for Indian metal label Transcending Obscurity.  They have become an important player in the Indian metal scene and introduced a lot of Indian talent to the rest of the world (and vice versa).  We had the pleasure of reviewing brilliant albums by bands like Biopsy (read review) and Rectified Spirit (read review), who both made it into my best-of-2015 list (read)
To celebrate this great year, Transcending Obscurity just released a 65 track sampler on their bandcamp page and you can download it for free.  Now that's what I call a nice end-year present.

Mars Red Sky must be one of the busiest bands in the psychedelic stoner rock scene.  Below you can find a first batch of dates for 2016. More dates will probably be added soon. (click flyer to enlarge)

Feel like shredding the year away?  Tired of the same old versions of classical music around the Christmas tree?  Well then, you should check out the upcoming album by everybody's favorite shred-queen The Great Kat.  On the DVD she plays her own, distinct version of works by Rossini, Liszt, Vivaldi, Bazzini and Beethoven.  

More great stuff to see on The Great Kat Web Site http://www.greatkat.com
(check out 'Bumble Bee')

Montreal, QC female fronted symphonic viking metal band Valfreya are reaching out to fans and friends for advance support via an Indiegogo campaign to aid in recording and releasing their 2016 album 'Promised Land' to follow up 2013's 'Acoustic Chronicles' and 2012's 'Path To Eternity'.

About the campaign:
​
"We’re looking to gather funds for the recording of our second full length album, which we plan to go in studio for around March 2016. We’re pretty happy with what we were able to do with limited funds on our first album and EP, but we want to raise the bar much higher for the next one with quality of production, better marketing and more merch for fans. Plus, with this campaign we're looking to gain more exposure so we can encourage opportunities of playing where the fans want to see us! Even a simple share to supports us is much appreciated!' comments vocalist Korrinn.

The Indiegogo campaign will offer fans various perks in return for their support starting from as little as $5 for a farmer's fealty to up to $550 for the raiders plunder. Full details can be found here.
Where the money goes:
Here's how the costs all break down:
Recording, mixing, and mastering
Marketing
500 CDs with inserts
The rest goes towards new quality t-shirts, stickers, etc
All funds raised here will go towards the production costs of the records, CDs, shirts, and shipping costs. Any additional funds raised will go towards bonus goodies like stickers, koozies, buttons, etc.

For more info, please visit www.valfreyametal.com.

Well well, this line-up is starting to fill-up quite nicely.  Dunk!Festival have just announced another bunch of names with  Pelican, Tides From Nebula, yndi halda and NILS GRÖNDAHL  Yup, this is going to be massive again...

This is the #dnk16 line-up so far:

• My Sleeping Karma from Germany
• Arms and Sleepers (full band) from USA
• Upcdownc from UK
• Herbstlaub from Belgium/Germany
• Slowrun from Finland
• Mutiny on the Bounty from Luxembourg
• Environments from Romania
• Spoiwo from Poland
• Baikonur from Chile
• Her Name Is Calla from UK
• Nordic Giants from UK
• CHVE from Belgium
• Fall of Messiah from France
• Illuminine from Belgium
• Obscure Sphinx from Poland
• Flies Are Spies From Hell from UK
• The Hirsch Effekt from Germany
• Wyatt E. from Belgium
• Sounds Like The End Of The World from Poland
• Thank U For Smoking from Italy, Sardinia
• I Am Waiting For You Last Summer from Russia
• YODOK III from Belgium and Sweden
• 65daysofstatic from UK

Check out the line-up, videos, pictures and reviews from dunk!festival2015 over here.

Finnish death metal, or 'hospital-metal' horde Amanita Virosa have released quite a gruesome video for the track 'My Slightest Hope'.  The song comes from the new album 'Asystole' (read our review), available now on Inverse Records.

Feel like an evening of psychedelic stoner hard rock?  Then you should check out Sasquatch on the upcoming European tour. The band is currently working on their new album, which will be released on Small Stone Records.

19.02.2016 Basel Kaschemme CH
20.02.2016 Erfurt Tiko D
21.02.2016 Berlin Wild At Heart D
22.02.2016 Dresden Ost Pol D
23.02.2016 Stuttgart Kellerclub D
24.02.2016 Duesseldorf Pitcher D
25.02.2016 Brussels Magasin 4 BEL
26.02.2016 Paris Glazart FR
27.02.2016 Nantes La Scene Michelet FR
28.02.2016 Clermont Ferrand Tba FR
01.03.2016 Gijon Casino Acapulco SP
02.03.2016 Porto Cave 45 POR
03.03.2016 Lisboa Stairway Club POR
03.03.2016 Lisboa Stairwa Club POR
04.03.2016 Madrid Sala Marvillas SP
05.03.2016 Barcelona Rocksound SP
06.03.2016 Zaragoza La Ley Seca SP
07.03.2016 Tba
08.03.2016 Milano Lofi ITA
09.03.2016 Bologna Freakout ITA
10.03.2016 Tba ITA
11.03.2016 Pisa Cafe Albatross ITA
12.03.2016 Lucerne Sedel CH

Our American stoner friends seem to have an evening to look forward to.  Bongzilla is going to fill the continent with a thick green haze, helped by none other than Black Cobra, Kings Destroy, Lo-Pan and Against The Grain.  I'm a bit jealous now...

2/26/2016, Madison WI, High Noon Saloon &
2/27/2016, Iowa City IA, Oasis &
2/28/2016, Fargo ND, Aquarium &
3/1/2016, Missoula MT, The Palace &
3/2/2016, Spokane WA, The Pin &
3/3/2016, Seattle WA, Highline &
3/4/2016, Vancouver BC, Rickshaw Theater &
3/5/2016, Bellingham WA, Shakedown &
3/6/2016, Portland OR, Star Theater &
3/7/2016, Sacramento CA, Starlite &
3/8/2016, San Francisco CA, Milk Bar &
3/9/2016, Santa Cruz CA, Catalyst &
3/10/2016, Los Angeles CA, Viper Room &
3/11/2016, San Diego CA, Brick By Brick &
3/12/2016, Mesa AZ, Club Red &
3/13/2016, Albuquerque NM, Sister Bar &
3/15/2016, Denver CO, Marquis Theatre &
3/16/2016, Kansas City MO, Riot Room &
3/17/2016, Ft. Worth TX, The Rail Club &
3/18/2016, Austin TX, SXSW,
3/19/2016, Austin TX, SXSW #
3/20/2016, Houston TX, Fitzgeralds #
3/22/2016, New Orleans LA, Siberia #
3/23/2016, Tampa FL, Orpheum #
3/24/2016, Miami FL, Churchills #
3/25/2016, Orlando FL, Wills Pub #
3/26/2016, Atlanta GA, The Earl #
3/27/2016, Asheville NC, Mothlight #
3/28/2016, Richmond VA, Strange Matter #
3/29/2016, Philadelphia PA, Kung Fu Necktie #
3/30/2016, Pittsburgh PA, Altar Bar #
3/31/2016, Hamden CT, Outer Space Ballroom #
4/1/2016, Brooklyn NY, Saint Vitus #
4/2/2016, Somerville MA, ONCE Ballroom #
4/3/2016, Pawtucket RI, The Met #
4/4/2016, Montreal QC, Foufounes Electriques #
4/5/2016, Toronto ON, Mod Club #
4/6/2016, Detroit MI, Loving Touch #
4/7/2016, Cleveland OH, Grog Shop #
4/8/2016, Chicago IL, Reggies #

Black Cobra and Lo-Pan on all dates
&= Against The Grain 2/26-3/7
#= Kings Destroy 3/19-4/8