Crom is a character in Marvel Comics’ Conan series, a Norse god who worships precious metals. It’s only fitting that his name be used in titling a new doom, stoner, rock and metal festival in the city of Steel.
“Obviously, we’re not exactly gods of metal,” says Shy Kennedy, founder and organizer of the Descendants of Crom festival. “But all the fans, the bands, we are all descendants of Crom.”
There’s an acoustic pre-fest show, on Fri., Sept. 29, at Lawrenceville’s Full Pint Wild Side Pub. It features heavy local bands performing acoustic sets designed to ease festival-goers into Saturday’s 17-band lineup at Cattivo. All the bands carry a different sound across the underground heavy community’s many genre niches. The lineup also features a Penance reunion a decade in the making.
The bands scheduled to appear are: Valkyrie, Penance, Earthride, Lady Beast, Stinking Lizaveta, Solace, EYE, Foghound, Horseburner, Brimstone Coven, Wasted Theory, Archarus, Monolith Wielder, Clouds Taste, Satanic, Enhailer and Cant.
Organizer Kennedy is the vocalist of local psych-tinged stoner-metal band Horehound. In addition to being in a band, she books shows and operates a local DIY label called Black Seed — the banner under which this festival will be run. She’s an active member of the heavy-music community in Pittsburgh, so she wanted this festival to exist, not only for her own enjoyment, but to service the greater underground-music community.
“It’s all about community,” Kennedy says. “It’s bigger than me.”
