The Odessa band formed in 2012, bent on exploring the outer rims of black metal—from atmospheric, sepulchral gloom to post-metal excursions into blackgaze and jazz. White Ward's early recordings—rooted in raw, depressive black metal and inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft and Ian M. Banks—were released as the compilation Origins, released in 2016. The group's follow-up efforts explore themes of existence on the brink of death, abnormal afterlife worlds and mental illness, sonically reaching into the vastness of instrumental jazz and the depths of dark existential despair. After recording their first full-length album, Futility Report, in 2017, the band signed to Debemur Morti Productions and embarked on a further journey down divergent sonic paths; they currently have three albums to their credit, the latest being 2022's False Light.
Crowhurst is Philadelphia musician Jay Gambit, known for projects such as Executioner's Mask and Girl 27. The project formed in 2011 as a solo harsh noise/power electronics endevour with black metal elements, only to evolve into a highly prolific (now over 30 full-length albums to their credit) quintet in 2015. On tour with White Ward, Gambit will return to his solo roots.
The line-up closes with Grief Circle. This Silesian outfit was formed on the ruins of the band Forge of Clouds, adding even more grime to the previous project's signature mix of sludge, doom and post-metal; its singer is Kvass, known from Psychotropic Transcendental and Moanna. Their debut album Weightless, produced by Haldor Grunberg of Satanic Audio, was released in October 2022 and received quite a few favourable reviews.