However, I do acknowledge the spiritual need. By spiritual, I suppose I really should say psychological, because that’s really what is. It’s a need for emotional and intellectual fulfillment. I call it spiritual because it’s easier. The soul essentially means the same thing to me, it’s not a separate part of a person, rather it is the person. It lives with me, and it’ll die with me.
I do believe that folks get their spiritual needs fulfilled in many different ways. Some get it by reading an ancient holy book. Some get it by praying/meditating/chanting. Some do it by making sure evolution isn’t taught to schools. There are many ways to skin a cat.
For me, my spiritual means are met by a different way. Music. Heavy, psychedelic, beautiful fucking music. That’s right, I am an atheist, but I’ve been attending the church of the riff since high school.
This sounds silly, linking music to my emotional and intellectual fulfillment. To be truthful, I can’t really explain it, but something clicks for me. Nothing compares to seeing Neurosis live, watching the band come together to form an avalanche of trance inducing tones. Nothing compares to watching Matt Pike demonstrating a baffling amount of control over the power over his own riffs, or Wino playing solos like he was working on a doctoral dissertation.
Every time I witness such events, something is spiritually awaken. It feasts on the sound and atmosphere, and subsequently feeds my soul with enlightenment and understanding. I feel the pseudo-genes in my body tingle as they remind me that I am connected with every living thing on the planet.
Sometimes I need an entire spiritual re-working. The last time this happened was in 2001, in San Francisco. Beyond the Pale. The memories of those four days alone are sometimes enough sustain me, but the more I think on it, the more I long for another experience like that again.
The dramatics in my life not withstanding, it has been far too long. It is time to make another pilgrimage. For evangelical fuzz heads who need riffs to worship, there is really only one place to go, Tilburg. The Netherlands. Roadburn. The biggest, heaviest, riffiest, stoneyest, doomiest, sludgeyist, droneist festival to ever threaten the planet and crack the skies. Last year a volcano erupted. Just saying.
I have decided that I’ve held back my own life long enough. 2012, I am going to Roadburn. That is a promise.
Now, for the record I haven’t the slightest idea who is playing at next year. Hell, people are still anxiously awaiting this years (and why wouldn’t they be?) I have no clue who is going to be there and that is kind of the point. When we went to Beyond the Pale, we only knew Neurosis and Isis. We had some concepts of bands like Tarentel and Zeni Geva, but no idea who Michael Gira, Joe Preston or Steve Albini were.
The point is, it doesn’t matter who’s going to be there. It’s going to be awesome. Roadburn has a rich history of heaviness, check out their lineup since 2006:
2011 edition
Thursday, April 14
Godflesh (playing Streetcleaner in its entirety)
Pentagram
Wovenhand
Buzzov*en
Soilent Green
Alcest
In Solitude
Zoroaster
Naam
Quest for Fire
Carlton Melton
Hallows Die
Cough
Wardruna
Acid King
Circle
Blood Ceremony
The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble
Count Raven
Ghost
Today Is the Day
Year Of No Light
Winterfylleth
The Atomic Bitchwax
Friday, April 15
Sunn O))) (curator)
Corrosion of Conformity (Animosity line-up)
Winter
Earth
Keiji Haino
Voivod
Incredible Hog
Pharaoh Overlord
Place of Skulls
Year Of No Light
Caspar Brötzmann Massaker
Scorn
Mamiffer
Beaver
Sabbath Assembly
Hooded Menace
Menace Ruine
Aluk Todolo
The Secret
Void ov Voices
Trap Them
Grave Miasma
Summon The Crows
Saturday, April 16
Swans
Candlemass (playing Epicus Doomicus Metallicus in its entirety with Johan Längqvist)
Shrinebuilder
Voivod
Weedeater
Liturgy
Lonely Kamel
Wolf People
Stone Axe
Ludicra
Imaad Wasif
Ufomammut (playing Eve in its entirety)
Circle
Dragontears
Rwake
Master Musicians Of Bukkake
The Gates of Slumber
Ramesses
Evoken
Yakuza
White Hills
Black Math Horseman
Sunday, April 17 : Afterburner
Black Mountain
Dead Meadow
Blood Farmers
Black Pyramid
Sourvein
Coffins
Dragontears
Sungrazer
Samsara Blues Experiment
Spindrift
2010 edition
Thursday, April 15
Goatsnake
Enslaved
Kylesa
Yob
Eyehategod
Jarboe
Sons of Otis
Shining
Monkey3
Bong
Russian Circles
Earthless
Mouth of the Architect
Ancestors
Firebird
Troubled Horse
Monarch!
Magnus Pelander
Øresund Space Collective
Samsara Blues Experiment
The Wounded Kings
Night Horse
Eagle Twin
Friday, April 16 : Tom G Warrior’s Only Death is Real
Triptykon (curator)
Sarke
Thorr's Hammer
Trinacria
Comus
Karma to Burn
Church of Misery
Master Musicians of Bukkake
Death Row
Bohren & der Club of Gore
Pagan Altar
Witchfynde
Valborg
Altar of Plagues
Shever
Noneuclid
Eagle Twin (extra set)
Suma
Long Distance Calling
Dive
Dream of an Opium Eater
Saturday, April 17
Enslaved / Shining (The Armageddon Concerto)
John Garcia plays Kyuss
Nachtmystium
Sons of Otis
Witchcraft (replaced Shrinebuilder)
Brant Bjork & The Bros
Astra
Jex Thoth
Yob
Sons of Otis
Karma to Burn (extra set)
Moss
Altar of Plagues
Death Row (extra set)
Fatso Jetson
Los Natas
Horisont
Mother-Unit (extra set)
The Lamp of Thoth
Totimoshi
The Machine (extra set)
Ahkmed
Sunday, April 18 : Afterburner
Eyehategod (extra set)
Graveyard
Church of Misery (extra set, 4th show in three editions)
Orange Sunshine (added on 17 April)
Jex Thoth (extra set)
Oceana Company
Capital Sentimental
The Machine
2009 edition
Thursday, April 23
Motorpsycho
Amon Düül II
Orange Goblin
Baroness
Ufomammut
The Devil's Blood
Wolves in the Throne Room
Zu
Minsk
Radio Moscow
Gomer Pyle
White Hills
Alexander Tucker
Black Sun
Rose Kemp
Farflung
Burial Hex
Aderlating
Friday, April 24
Saint Vitus
Cathedral
Mono
Colour Haze
Angel Witch
Bohren & der Club of Gore
Church Of Misery
Scott Kelly
Dragontears
The Outskirts of Infinity
Atomic Bitchwax
Steve Von Till / Harvestman
Negura Bunget
Saviours
Omega Massif
Shora
Roadsaw
Vibravoid
The Winchester Club
Seven That Spells
Saturday, April 25 - Neurosis presents "Beyond The Pale"
Neurosis (curator)
Om
The Young Gods
Earth
Grails
Tribes Of Neurot
Skullflower
Guapo
Zeni Geva
Six Organs of Admittance
A Storm of Light
Amenra
US Christmas
Nadja
Eugene S. Robinson
Grey Daturas
The Outskirts of Infinity
DJ's Kosmik Ken & Astro
Sunday, April 26 : Afterburner
Wino
Firebird
Dead Man
2008 edition
Thursday, April 17
Down
Grand Magus
Capricorns
The Devil's Blood
Taint
Diagonal
Litmus
Serpentcult
Friday, April 18
Isis
Trouble
Witchcraft
Earthless
Blood Of The Sun
Mos generator
Scott Kelly
Tony McPhee's Groundhogs
Witch
Black Shape of Nexus
Baby Woodrose
Danava
Church Of Misery
La Ira de Dios
Gentlleman's pistol
Zone Six
Assemble Head
Saturday, April 19
Enslaved
Cult of Luna
Acid Mothers Guru
Boris
Cephalic Carnage(playing Halls of Amenti in its entirety)
Long Distance Calling
Kongh
Dixie Witch
Tia Carrera
Wolves in the Throne Room
The Heads
Jesu (solo)
Electric Orange
Year of No Light
My Sleeping karma
Nadja
Kruger
Lesbian
Sunday, April 20
Current 93
Baby Dee
Hush Arbors
Afterburner
Graveyard
Repomen
The Glasspack
Orange Sunshine
Dzjenghis Khan
Beehoover
2007 edition
Friday, April 20
Melvins / Big Business
Blue Cheer
Clutch
Orange Sunshine
Volt
Causa Sui
Guru Guru
Sun Dial
Porn (The Men of)
Pharaoh Overlord
The Sword
Rotor
Josiah
Siena Root
Earthling Society
On Trial
Saturday, April 21
Neurosis
Om
Red Sparowes
The Hidden Hand
Acid King
Colour Haze
Pelican
Orthodox
Circle
Growing
Black Cobra
Stinking Lizaveta
Thrones
Amenra
Monkey3
Sunday, April 22 : Afterburner
Sunn O)))
Bohren & der Club of Gore
Fear Falls Burning
2006 edition
Friday, April 21
Astrosoniq
End of Level Boss
Spaceship Landing
Toner Low
Saturday, April 22
Hawkwind
Orange Goblin
Ozric Tentacles
Colour Haze
Witchcraft
Ufomammut
Solace
Leaf Hound
The Heads
Abramis Brama
The Bevis Frond
Gorilla
Orange Sunshine
Capricorns
Brant Bjork & The Bros
Spacehead
Some, if not most of those bands I’ve never heard of, but those that I have make this goal all the more promising. The expectations are high, but Roadburn never disappoints. In fact every year appears to get better and better. I know it will be worth it.
For now, there is no goal higher than that of Roadburn. It won’t be easy, the tickets for this year sold out in 17 minutes. It won’t be cheap, plane tickets never are. But that’s the point of a spiritual pilgrimage, a long, hard journey to reach that coveted enlightenment. I will chronicle my journey via text, audio and video. To be continued.
Command Image: Spirit Command
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