In its continued quest to bring the best stoner/doom/psych to heavy fans worldwide, Ripple Music is guided by two critical principles: building an inspired roster of boundary-pushing bands throughout the world, and maintaining a glorious range of sonic diversity among them.
With that in mind, Ripple is psyched to announce the signing of Norway’s Håndgemeng. Hailing from the frozen Norwegian tundra, Håndgemeng bring forth a rocket blast of high-octane doom ‘n roll, infused with a touch of classic rock inspired by the 70s riff-masters and brewed together with plenty of today’s thunderously slow and sludgy doom wizardry.
Håndgemeng formed in Oslo, Norway in 2017 by brothers Martin and Filip Wennberg on vocals and bass, Charlie Ytterli on guitar and Ola Holseth on drums. Previously, the members had played together in hardcore and punk bands, but the puzzle pieces didn’t come together until the riffs got slower and the amps got louder.
In 2019, they released their first EP Motorcycle Death Cult, followed soon after by the Grim Riffer EP. As Håndgemeng began playing out constantly and gained traction in the Oslo underground, bassist Filip Wennberg was replaced by longtime friend of the band Kim Grannes.
Håndgemeng started making their debut album just as society collapsed and the world went into a global lockdown. Still, from that darkness came ULTRARITUAL, a seven-song cosmic journey spanning millions of years and countless riffs.
As the band puts it, “We have already sold our souls to the devil, fame and glory awaits, and then Hell… let the ritual commence.”
Says Super Dank Metal Jams of Håndgemeng: “Mashing up plenty of stoner style into their hardcore formula creates some heavy ass grooves that will make it feel like you’re being run over! Songs roar and rumble like an old engine running hot with low, groaning steady rhythms - the kind of stuff that will make you want to drive fast and bang your head! Raspy breathless shouts from the vocalist suit the sound perfectly and drill these songs straight into your ears.”
Look for Ripple's release of Ultraritual by Håndgemeng in the first quarter of 2023.