WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM, LA BELLE ANGELE, EDINBURGH, AUGUST 3 2026

US black metal legends in, for a change, Edinburgh. Been waiting for years to see these lads, but always managed to miss them for various reasons. Will they be worth the wait?

Line-up:

GOUT: Glasgow's most excellent sludge/noise quartet, filling in at short notice when the original opener (Serena Cherry's NOCTULE project) called off. An odd choice, perhaps, as they don't feature a shred of 'black' in their metal. It's nice to finally see them in a bigger venue. It's no more than they deserve.

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/pL5veYJOeQc   https://www.instagram.com/__gout

SPECTRAL WOUND: 'Aristocratic suicidal black metal', whatever that means. From Montreal. In Canada. If you want to know what ASBM is check out the video below, because that's the title of the song.

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/yeKECgvew_s     https://www.facebook.com/spectralwoundcontramundi

WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM: Atmospheric black metal from Washington, USA. Apologies for the extra-horrible pics, but it was, y'know, dark.

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/8y0EEHs5fEI   https://www.facebook.com/wolvesinthethroneroom

So. Was it worth the wait? Well, I'm glad to have seen them at last but, to be absolutely honest, I'm a tad disappointed. I was expecting something a bit more...special. They were fine, but no more so than many other black metal bands. Gout were awesome, though.

EARL OF HELL, BANSHEE LABYRINTH, EDINBURGH, JULY 17 2026

 A FORGED IS SCOTLAND gig from SCOTLAND ROCKS RADIO

Line-up:

FUZ CALDRIN: You should know these lads, it's only been a few weeks since they last played here. It's unlikely that they've changed much. And, indeed, they haven't.

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/__BP0oPnXhY    https://www.facebook.com/fuzcaldrinband

BUZZARDS OF BABYLON: Stoners - with a hefty NWOBHM flavour - from Kirkcaldy, fond of a beer or two. First gig of the year, and their first time in the Banshee.

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/rHFnEEbjGVE   https://www.facebook.com/buzzardsbabylonuk

EARL OF HELL: Lean and sinewy supercharged local heavy rockers. Very popular. The crowd demands two encores, but they have nothing prepared. We get an old song that they've not played for more than two years - 'Hang 'Em High' - and an impromptu cover of T-Rex's 'Children of the Revolution'  which they have NEVER played before.

VIDEO HERE:   https://youtu.be/2rbUYs0b8wU  https://www.facebook.com/earlofhell

OF SPIRE AND THRONE, BANSHEE LABYRINTH, EDINBURGH, JULY 7 2026

 The first show organised by new promoters, EERIE EIDOLON, and it's going to be HEFTY.

Line-up:

FALL OF THE GATEKEEPERS: New kids, doing a blackened post-metal thing, fronted by STUART HALL ex of SOMAESTHESIA and the man behind tonight's promoter EERIE EIDOLON. 

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/QshmYmMFVxo    https://www.facebook.com/fallofthegatekeepersofficial

TELEOST: Glasgow-based doomsludge duo. Colossally loud

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/_Y8IqiNsGbA    https://www.facebook.com/teleostband

OF SPIRE AND THRONE: Local heroes, returning to the scene after some years in hibernation. New bass player, new songs, still heavy as fuck and Donna still plays drums with a hammer.

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/7RF6RQccS0E   https://www.facebook.com/ofspireandthrone

KURNEL FIST, BANSHEE LABYRINTH, EDINBURGH, JULY 4 2026

Celebrating US Independence day with an evening of psych/stoner stuff from North of the river. Fortunately, no orange shitclowns involved.

Line-up:

THE UNDERNEATH: '3-Piece pineapplepizzapop extravaganza', apparently. Whatever THAT means. Judging from the rest of the bill, these lads come from Dundee. 

Reality: they're from West Lothian, there's only 2 of them (bass player absent for the evening - off seeing MCR apparently), and they play excitable fuzzy noisy rock. They're very good.

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/-5K5okNY-ac   https://www.facebook.com/UnderneathFuzz

CRUISE ELROY: From Dundee, with a fondness for Lemon Fanta. Most of them used to be in SPEEDRUNNER, which tells me nothing at all. Fizzy, mathy alt-rock kinda thing

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/ON7M6jL8IvY   https://www.instagram.com/cruise_elroy_band

INDICA: Cosmic desert rock trio, also from Dundee. They don't get out much - this is their first Edinburgh gig in 6 years. (Henry's Cellar Bar, supporting UNDER. I was there, to nobody's great surprise.)Worth the wait, though, because they are dead good.

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/_JotXpwLcWg   https://www.instagram.com/indica.dundee

KURNEL FIST: 3-piece alt/stoners from - you guessed it - Dundee. Tonight's hosts. Something of a belated album release show for 'Seat With A View' from which most of tonight's set is taken. Plus a cheeky wee ALL THEM WITCHES cover.

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/oTeeF9usUlI   https://www.facebook.com/kurnelfist

Quality gig, poorly attended. The hazards of trying to run a DIY gig in Edinburgh when you're in Dundee. I had fun, though.