Fancy a Fuzzness event guide? Plus headliners Earl Of Hell QnA
Later today, Fuzzness – Chapter One presented by the Broken Foundation Collective bring together eight bands to celebrate stoner, doom and sludge sounds at the Tooth & Claw in Inverness, from 4pm onwards today (Saturday). The collective have hand-picked some of Scotland’s up and coming acts to assemble in Inverness for the first time.
Here's their handy guide sharing what you should expect from each of the line-ups, starting with headliners Earl Of Hell – and below that, you will find a QnA with the band revealing vital facts and tantalising details. Explore the website whatson-north.co.uk to find more QnAs with other Fuzzness acts playing in Inverness later today!
Earl Of Hell – Scotland’s fast-rising fuzz rockers who had an exceptional 2022 with the release of their EP Get Smoked via US label Slightly Fuzzed Records. While supporting some big names such as Bongzilla, Phil Campbell, Raging Speedhorn, Alunah, Vintage Caravan, to name a few. The band shows no sign of slowing down after being announced to play Desertfest in London this year.
Melted Messiah – two-piece outfit from the Kingdom Of Fife bring a unique fusion of Black metal and stoner sludge (imagine the b**tard son of Darkthrone of Kyuss) to Fuzzness. Guaranteed to take you on a vile emotional rollercoaster ride! (New album out just yesterday!)
Acidsaurus Bong – Edinburgh-based groovy bluesy goodness topped with grimy stoner sludge featuring vocals rougher than the current economic crisis.
Robot Death Monkey – Robot Death Monkey are a beer drinkin' stoner groove machine formed in Edinburgh. With the addition of Alan Travers and Fraser Lough on Guitar duties, RDM have truly cemented themselves as Scotlan's hardest band.
Cage The Ox – brand-new stoner doom outfit from Inverness play their debut show at Fuzzness. Bringing influences from the likes of Monolord, Electric Wizard, Beastmaker, to name a few.
Kurnel Fist – Dundonian alt-stoner band with groovy blues riffs on the psychedelic end of the spectrum.
Cultmaster – four guys mixing up stoner rock, punk, thrash and sludge in a hot tub full of beer.
Engine Of Ruin – two-piece stoner doom duo from Glasgow featuring The Doomkeeper on bass.
Below, headliners Earl Of High reveal they are excited to make their Inverness debut. But will they use the strategy that worked to keep 500 rowdy Mötorhead fans happy ...
Earl Of Hell – high-octane heavy fuzz rock band with a ghoulish aesthetic and fun-loving yet macabre underbelly.
Q What was the music or artist you first remember that inspired you to get into making music yourself(ves)?
A Our collective music taste is very varied but our foundations are: Black Sabbath, Mötorhead, Kyuss, Alice In Chains, Nirvana, Metallica, The Stooges. Classic rock, desert, stoner, grunge, post punk, proto-metal.
Q What have been some of the most memorable gigs you have seen?
A We’ve all been lucky to see some of our biggest heroes; Sabbath, Metallica, Iggy, the Stones, ZZ Top, Alice In Chains. For Eric, his first-ever gig was seeing the Sex Pistols in 2007, he’s never been so petrified and excited at the same time. For Ryan, seeing Mastodon in 2011 was a life-changing moment. We’ve also seen some amazing up-and-coming bands put in some huge performances in recent years which we’ll keep in the bank for bragging about later.
Q Now, what is the best gig you have had as a musician?
A Tough one. For most of us it’d either be our first hometown show headlining Sneaky Pete's in Edinburgh or opening for Phil Campbell at the Hairy Dog, Derby. And for a sold out-crowd of rowdy Motörhead fans in a 500 cap venue we played our fastest setlist. Every song was over 180bpm and met with huge applause. An unbeatable moment!
Q Fuzzness celebrates doom, stoner and sludge at its finest, what will be the best thing about it for you?
A This is our first time playing in Inverness so we’re excited to see what kind of reception we get. We’re already well acquainted with a few of the bands on the line-up, the others we’ve heard great things about, so we’ve no doubt it’s going to be a blistering night! Also our guitarist Dan is playing two sets that night, one with us and one with Cultmaster, who have been working on new material recently. We haven’t heard any of it yet, so we have the privilege of experiencing it together for the first time!
Q (for visiting bands) What do you love/ dread about being on the road to get to a gig like this?
A Journeys like this one are a total enjoyment. Miles of beautiful picturesque Scottish landscapes, talking non-stop rubbish in the van, blasting music all the way there. Being out on the road with us feels a bit like the bairns have commandeered the school bus. There’s a feeling of invincibility, freedom, unity. The only thing we dread is having to wait to do it all again.
Q If you could have a fantasy hero, music or otherwise, to share a bill with this year, who would it be?
A We’re eagerly anticipating a return from QOTSA this year. If anyone could make that happen we’d be happy to talk numbers. In all seriousness, we are extremely excited to be playing Desertfest London in May sharing a bill with many of our actual heroes! Too many to mention.
More: Facebook @earlofhell Spotify
