Intense, heavy shoegaze from a Belgian-British quartet
Heavy shoegaze to completely lose yourself in: the Belgian-British Slow Crush is intense, fiery, and captivating. After their acclaimed debut Aurora (2018), hailed by Stereogum as “phenomenal” and “one of the best shoegaze albums of all time,” the quartet toured the world and built a loyal fanbase. The four years following their second album Hush (2021) brought new perspectives, which can be heard on their new release Thirst (expected August 29, 2025). An album about being stuck yet weightless, about getting lost but still searching, and above all about music as a space for silence and reflection. “We want people to feel embraced by the music,” says Isa. “To let go and be carried away—even to another dimension. A place where they can be fully present in the moment.”
The music of Keep stands strong. With their own shoegaze sound described as “grand and majestic,” the band from Virginia has firmly established itself in the alternative rock scene. Their new album Almost Static, released at the end of May, seamlessly blends various influences and explores new musical directions.
OVERSIZE moves between dreamy, atmospheric sounds and hard, gritty guitar riffs that complement and reinforce the personal lyrics. Although the band openly embraces their love for ’90s alternative music, they don’t get stuck in the past musically. This and more is proven by the five-piece from southwest England on their strong debut album Vital Signs.
About Doomstad:
The Domstad (Utrecht) is already marked as the music city of the Netherlands, but it could still use some raw energy and hellfire from time to time. Doomstad stands for music of the heavy and dark kind. Black metal, doom, sludge, stoner, drone… as long as it’s loud, intense, hypnotic, and very, very good. EKKO, TivoliVredenburg, and Never Mind The Hype share the same enthusiasm for this niche and are determined to spread the gospel in Utrecht.
