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Stella Natura is a 3-day/3-night festival of ambient/folk/black/doom metal in Tahoe National Forest (Northwest California, near Reno, Nevada) taking place September 21 through 24, 2012. The site is the Shinneyboo Creek Cabin Resort (map), which features some wood and tent cabins, but is otherwise mostly camping. See the well-built festival website for details such as lineup, directions, lodging, and fees. For up-to-the-minute updates and arranging rides/lodging with others, see the Facebook page.
The full lineup is below. It’s perfect for such a setting, and the three-day spread allows time for hiking during the day. Highlights of the lineup include Australian funeral doomsters Mournful Congregation and Colorado black metallers Velnias (who are touring the US West Coast together – dates are forthcoming as of now), occult rockers Sabbath Assembly (who have a new album out in September on The AJNA Offensive), French metal/kraut rockers Aluk Todolo, Idaho drone/doom duo Wolvserpent, and Finnish dark ambient act Arktau Eos (who have two new albums out this fall, as well as scattered live shows in Seattle, Romania, and Sweden). I listen to Arktau Eos’ 2009 album Ai Ma Ra almost weekly and am curious as to how it would translate live.
Admittedly, I go to nature to escape people and electricity, not commune with others and see bands. But for those who want to do those things in a beautiful, natural setting, Stella Natura looks to be ideal. Just please leave no trace behind.
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Arktau Eos – “Unto Chthonic Waterways Consigned”
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STELLA NATURA 2012 CONFIRMED LINEUP
Aerial Ruin
Aluk Todolo (FR)
Arktau Eos (FI)
Ash Borer
Blood Axis
Burial Hex
Changes
Circulation of Light
COTA
Funerary Call (CA)
Hail
HELL
Hooded Archer
Ironwood (AU)
L’Acephale
Lasher Keen
Lux Interna
Menace Ruine (CA)
Mournful Congregation (AU)
Novemthree
River
Pyhä Kuolema (FI)
Sabbath Assembly
Sangre de Muerdago (ES)
Servile Sect
The Sterling Sisters
Sutekh Hexen
The Lindbergh Baby
Tuhkankantajat (FI)
Velnias
Vradiazei
Waldteufel
Will O’ The Wisp
Wolvserpent
This is a bad idea. It will lead to crowds, increased erosion from such crowds, the potential for pollution, and, frankly, the noise will disturb the local wildlife.
It’s in an established, resort-style campground. I don’t think degradation of wildlife is really much of a risk.
Then I don’t have a problem with it as long as the festival goers adhere to Alan’s advice to leave no trace.
more of these kinds of festivals should happen, low key, away from urban centres, more of a cohesive all around experience. looks like a great lineup and great scenery, now if only something like this would happen north of the border…
Aren’t Changes and Blood Axis both neo-folk bands reputed to have, uh, problematic political views? Not an expert on that (neo-folk and folk in general are really not my thing), but I think I remember hearing their names come up during the brouhaha over Death in June playing in Chicago a few years back. I guess the great outdoors is one venue that can’t cancel on them.
I only know Blood Axis, and I don’t know the intricacies of their politics, but my impression was always that they liked to push the line of fascist imagery for shock value more than anything else. Strangely enough, the main dude, Michael Moynihan, co-wrote Lords of Chaos. That’s as much as I know, but I haven’t seen anything damning.
Censorship is next to godliness.
Saw this and thought it was an interesting concept… but my friends who live in Tahoe will be me visiting me on the other side of the country on those dates. Oh well.
There’s this ski bum dude in Tahoe that hand winds awesome guitar pups. Used to roadie for the Obsessed way back when in Maryland. Bryan Gunsher. Grab a set of his pickups while yer up there (or order them, there’s a six week lead time)…I have a set of vintage 60’s single coils and couldn’t be happier. Think Fralin, but less expensive.
Tahoe summer camping rocks.
David
Will be there.
squirrels will be running for their lives.
When are squirrels not running for their lives?
The lineup is fascinating!
The whole camping for 3 days and sleeping in some small tent with my friends thing scares the hell out of me though…meh
There’s a hotel but it probably costs an arm and a leg.
I will be there and hope the weekend is half as enjoyable as I imagine. The promoters are riged about the leave no trace, and I for one practice this whenever I am out in the wilds. I don’t know any of the bands but from their videos, the weekend should be interesting. Looking forward to swimming in the river.