Top 10 bands you must watch at Desertfest London 2024

May 14, 2024 James Weaver

For over 12 years, Desertfest London has established itself as the premier festival for all things doom, sludge, stoner and psychedelic. Spread across numerous venues in Camden Town in the UK capital, year on year, the festival curates a bill of numerous nationalities, genres and sounds across a May weekend and 2024’s edition is no different. Boasting a staggeringly strong lineup, deciding who to watch at this year’s festival can be a tall order. Here, we break down this year’s lineup and give you ten bands you simply must watch at this year’s Desertfest London!

WAKE – The Underworld, Friday May 17th

The return of Canadian death metallers WAKE to our side of the Atlantic has been a long time coming, seven years to be exact. And whilst Desertfest has made its name on the fuzzy, slow riffs of doom and stoner, the Canadian quintet will inject a surge of adrenaline when they hit the festival on the first day of this year’s festival! Armed with their excellent latest album, 2022’s Thought Form Descent, anticipate a whirlwind of forward-thinking death metal which will surely be an early highlight of the weekend’s action.

PEST CONTROL – The Roundhouse, Saturday May 18th

Since forming in 2019, Leeds-based crossover thrashes PEST CONTROL have brought sheer chaos to ever stage they have graced. Touring relentlessly, including a particularly memorable appearance at last year’s Bloodstock, their appearance at Desertfest London might be somewhat of a curveball given the doom and sludgy tones offered by the majority of the lineup. But, just as INHUMAN NATURE showed two years ago at the very same festival, PEST CONTROL will bring high-octane riffage and swirling circle pits as they lift the curtain on The Roundhouse on day two of the festival. For those with heavy heads from the previous night, PEST CONTROL will be the perfect antidote to go for round two.

SUNNATA – The Underworld, Saturday May 18th

Polish shamans SUNNATA have been making a buzz in the doom underbelly for some years now. 2021’s Burning In Heaven, Melting On Earth drew a flurry of attention to the band and now, armed with this year’s excellent Chasing Shadows, the Polish outfit will conjure a mesmerising and emotive atmosphere in the darkness of Camden’s The Underworld. Blending psychedelia, space rock and hefty doom, their music twists and turns at every opportunity and we can anticipate that experiencing this in the live environment will be something truly majestic.

VOIDLURKER – The Dev, Friday May 17th

The UK doom scene has a bountiful selection of killer bands and such is the case of VOIDLURKER. The Birmingham-based trio pay homage to the giants of doom with huge tones, deep reverb and their sludgy crawl comes across a treat in the live environment. Still armed with their debut EP, 2020’s Industrial Nightmare, their addition to the Desertfest London bill is a match made in heaven. For a three piece, this trio can make an awfully loud racket and given the dingy confines of The Dev, it’s going to be the perfect backdrop for some afternoon doom. Just remember to bring your earplugs.

<a href="https://voidlurker.bandcamp.com/album/industrial-nightmare">Industrial Nightmare by Voidlurker</a>

UFOMAMMUT – The Electric Ballroom, Sunday May 19th

Since forming just before the dawn of the 21st Century, Italy’s UFOMAMMUT have grown to become a titan in the doom scene. Combining their brand of dynamic riff worship with splashes of psychedelia and drone, the band have forged a worthy career with their slab of mighty new doom in Hidden, but live, they promise to be a different beast entirely. Syncing loops of a backdrop of striking visual art to match their lengthy compositions, the band will mesmerise those who gather in worship at The Electric Ballroom on the festival’s last day.

FIRES IN THE DISTANCE – The Dev, Saturday May 18th

Tugged away on the small confines of The Dev, Connecticut’s FIRES IN THE DISTANCE are poised to be a hidden gem of this year’s stacked Desertfest London lineup. It’s the Americans first visit to our shores and although there is slight trepidation towards whether the band can replicate their epic doom-tinged melodeath to a venue of this intimacy, those that are able to pack themselves into The Dev will witness something truly epic. Expect to hear material from their two stunning records (2020’s Echoes From Deep November and last year’s Air Not Meant For Us) and if the stars align, you’ll be able to say “I was there” when the band grace venues of bigger stature in the years to come.

MASTERS OF REALITY – The Electric Ballroom, Friday May 17th

As purveyors of the American desert rock scene alongside the likes of KYUSS, MASTERS OF REALITY are utter legends and their headlining slot at The Electric Ballroom on day one of Desertfest London should close the festival’s action in the finest of fashion. Boasting a blend of stoner rock, blues-driven riffage and swirling psychedelia, the band – led by Chris Goss – will take the crowd across 40 years of aural brilliance. And armed with their first new music in 15 years in new single Sugar, it looks like MASTERS OF REALITY‘s headlining set at Desertfest London will kickstart their next era.

CANER BATS – The Roundhouse, Saturday May 18th

At first glance, CANCER BATS gracing the Desertfest bill may feel somewhat odd given the band’s usual stomping ground at more mainstream-leaning festivals such as Download or Slam Dunk but this Canadian rabble ooze adoration for heavy metal. Liam Cormier and his rabble of riff-wielding bandmates have built their name on taking metal and fusing it into their brand of hardcore and their sludgy undertones will sound absolutely enormous at they grace The Roundhouse on the Saturday of this year’s festival. Expect the likes of Hail Destroyer, Lonely Bong and R.A.T.S to ignite sheer bedlam in the pit and with the band donning their BLACK SABBATH homage in BAT SABBATH to serve as the festival’s afterparty, and a double whammy of CANCER BATS is absolute perfection for the Desertfest crowd.

DVNE – Dingwalls, Sunday May 19th

2021’s Etemen Ænka established Scottish progressive/post-metallers DVNE as a genuine force in the UK metal scene and now, with this year’s Voidkind under their belts, the band take to Desertfest London to continue their ascendancy. Science fiction and metal fans rejoice, as DVNE‘s Sci-Fi driven epics showcase an abundance of technical brilliance, thundering passages and a fully immersive listening experience. DVNE push the boundaries of progressive and post-metal and you will have a thoroughly wonderful time experiencing them live in action at this year’s festival.

MONOLORD – The Electric Ballroom, Sunday, May 19th

Sweden’s MONOLORD have become a firm favourite in the doom scene over the course of their eleven year history. And their appearance to Desertfest London will be seen as a homecoming as the trio bring the wicked blend of psych-driven sludgy doom to The Electric Ballroom on the festival’s final day. Expect a huge wall of sound, on that effortlessly washes over you like a wave crashing upon the rocks. Expect MONOLORD to reaffirm their status as one of the premier bands in doom metal.