Heavy Friends
Saturday July 4th, 2026 with Heavy Ben
Goat: shepherd of the contemporary Swedish psych rock scene

Tonight, we take a kaleidoscopic journey into the mystical world of the contemporary Swedish psychedelic rock scene. At its core is Goat. Shrouded in secrecy, this anonymous, mask-wearing troupe claims to hail from Korpilombolo - a tiny, remote village in northern Sweden supposedly cursed by a voodoo witch doctor centuries ago. You can subscribe to the mythos or simply groove on, fuzz in, and rock out. Goat exploded onto the global scene with their 2012 breakout "World Music". They captivated audiences with an intoxicating brew of heavy Sabbath-esque riffs, hypnotic Afrobeat rhythms, Krautrock grooves, and tribal percussion. I was lucky to see Goat perform in 2013 in Reykjavik at Iceland Airwaves and it remains one of the best live shows I can barely remember. Goat has 6 dates in Canada this summer (and none in the USA!), including tonight, July 4, in Montreal and this coming Thursday, July 9, in Ottawa at Bluesfest. Goat is only the tip of the glacier, as the family runs deep with common touchpoints Gothenburg, Rocket Records, and shared membership behind the masks. Disciples may know Hills, Djinn, and Yuri Gagarin. We'll also hear Capra Informis, Centrum, GÅS, Hanna Östergren, Josefin Öhrn + The Liberation, Laughing Eye, Melody Fields, Routine Death, The Movements, and Träden - the current alias of Träd, Gräs Och Stenar who started this Swedish psych madness in 1969, with roots in Pärson Sound and International Harvester. Only Goatlord knows what other rituals remain undiscovered. Tracks from 38 discrete releases. (to embiggen the show icon, right-click and choose "Open image in new tab")