RITUAL KING, THE HIVE, EDINBURGH, OCTOBER 22 2026

Heavy psych/stoners on tour, in an oddly lightless Hive. Not sure why it was so dark. Maybe somebody forgot to put 50p in the meter...

Line-up:

ARDUA: Local metalcore lads. Their first ever gig, it seems. Confident and clearly well-rehearsed. Singer sometimes seems unsure of what to do on stage when he's not singing. 

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/eKE7S3qcz6g   https://www.facebook.com/ArduaUK

KURNEL FIST: The first hefty psych/blues stoner power trio of the evening, this one from Dundee.

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/7xrJi_qNatQ  https://www.facebook.com/kurnelfist

OBSIDIAN SAND: Sludgy post-metal trio, mostly very loud, occasionally less so. Fond of long songs.

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/wlTbHqbLy98   https://www.facebook.com/ObsidianSand

RITUAL KING: Tonight's main feature, and the second hefty psych/blues stoner power trio of the evening. All the way from Manchester. Didn't let a couple of feedback gremlins spoil the fun.

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/QHH6kLfjSTg   https://www.facebook.com/ritualking

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.

MELTED MESSIAH, BANSHEE LABYRINTH, EDINBURGH, JUNE 9 2023

Fife's premier black metal/doom duo hold their album release gig in Edinburgh. Expect 'Some Good Riffs'.

                                                           

                                                           Mark Golder - MELTED MESSIAH

Line-up

OPHANIM: Local black metal duo continue their campaign to support every band in the country.

VIDEO: https://youtu.be/bOnmwtsBj7I     https://www.facebook.com/OphanimBand

KURNEL FIST: Dundee stoners. I have attended every single one of their Edinburgh gigs throughout the entirety of their ten-year existence. This is their second.

VIDEO:   https://youtu.be/BoaaFm1mMiE    https://www.facebook.com/kurnelfist

VOIDLURKER: The sludgiest of doom from Birmingham. For fans of lurking in voids.

VIDEO:   https://youtu.be/wF3XoHam1Hc  https://www.facebook.com/voidlurker    

MELTED MESSIAH: Their first Edinburgh headliner, and the release show for their 'Some Good Riffs' album.

VIDEO: https://youtu.be/v0akvBoB5K0      https://www.facebook.com/MeltedMessiah