NOVACRON

St. Paul, MN's Novacron doesn't necessarily need me to list off their pedigree, because really they're just pummelingly awesome, but I'm just gonna do it anyways and see if it changes anything for you. Three-piece heavy loud band, yeah, that's typical, it's Total Fest, but wait, these are the bands these dudes come from (in no certain order): Seawhores, Vaz, Hammerhead, Skoal Kodiak, Cows. I hope I've piqued somebody's attention because you are in for an apocalyptic good time. We've spilled a lot of virtual ink on this blog extolling the intensity of (and our love for) Vaz, Hammerhead, and the Amphetamine Reptile label, and I just wanna tell you people that Novacron is TOTALLY WORTHY. I hear they haven't been around for a while but you know, I'm almost certain they've just been asleep, like some Cthulhu of the Midwest. 2015 is the year and they're not only up and risen but planning on invading Missoula's sanity just in time for Total Fest XIV.

They were once known as Jet Legs, too. Here's some footage from AmRep's 25th Anniversary Post Show BBQ: 

VAZ TO BRING VAZ, VAZNESS AND VAZOCITY TO TOTAL FEST

Paul Erickson, Vaz

Vaz .

We've written all about Vaz here, here, and Weird Missoula Tom wrote about them here.

We love 'em like few other bands. Jeff and Paul used to be in Hammerhead. They are orginally from eastern North Dakota/western Minnesota and nearby a nuclear arsenal.

Who knows if that had any effect on their music, exactly, but I like to think it did. Something about the cold war, nuclear arms races, Air Force controlled stockpiles of ICBMs buried in wheat fields can't help but give you something to consider. If you haven't listened to a Vaz record in its entirety start with last year's Visiting Hours on the Sleeping Giant Glossolalia label and move backwards. Second guitar player Tyler Nolan's played on the last couple and brings a great depth and heaviness to the band, whose twin Telecaster assault is more like Tar's and maybe Jehu's deal, rather than Bruce Springsteen. It's real nice, sonically speaking. It's steeped, or fermented for about fifteen years, and is a pretty mind-meld kind of thing to witness, if you dig it heavy and weird.

 

KOWLOON WALLED CITY TO BRING THEIR WALL OF NOISE TO OUR FINE CITY.

So far, with the exception of a few, this year's Total Fest line-up has been somewhat lacking in the heavy department, but we're proud to announce that San Francisco powerhouse Kowloon Walled City will be joining us this August in Missoula. This Bay Area group has been around for a couple of years now, melting minds one head at a time with their unique blend of low-end, crushing sludge metal and AmRep-inspired, mathy noise-rock. Their self-released 2008 debut EP Turk Street quickly caught the eyes and ears of many (including rave reviews from San Fran mainstay Aquarius Records and others) and interest in the band has since exploded with the subsequent release of their Gambling on the Richter Scale LP, a split 12" with Fight Amp, occasional touring (when they're not juggling family and work lives) and non-stop local shows supporting the likes of Unsane, Kylesa, Saviours, Helms Alee and many others. Their visit to Missoula this August will be a rare out of town performance for the band and our collective inner-metalhead is eagerly looking forward to it (and hope you are too).

We've posted a live video from a past show below, but their penchant for gratuity and accessibility certainly shows through as they've made all of their releases available for free digital download on their website here.

WHITE DRUGS STRAIGHT TO YOUR VEIN TOTAL FEST STYLE
My parents can breath a sigh of relief that the White Drugs debut album came out ten years after my sophomore year of high school because that album would have put me straight into juvie. I mean I’m almost thirty years old and still get the urge to bash in a mailbox every time the first note of “Harlem” hits me in the chest.

I have never seen White Drugs live before, but I’ve heard enough of their music on wax to envision what’s in store for us when these Denton, TX boys take the stage. I can imagine a tornado of noise, bashing drums, a frenzy of fuzzed out guitars, beer and possibly some blood. These guys are loud and they WILL make your eardrums feel bad about themselves in the morning but I can’t wait. White Drugs is set to play the Amphetamine Reptile 25^th Anniversary Bash and release their second album on the legendary label as well. So uh, get excited!