Khanate

In the years since KHANATE were last active there have been many heavy bands that followed in their footsteps. Some are able to emulate the abject bleakness, some conquer the low-end rumble, and a lot of them are undoubtedly extremely heavy. But none quite capture the grotesque combination of all three components quite like Khanate.  So, when the four-piece ended their hiatus earlier this year, spewing forth new material, the stakes were high. To Be Cruel didn’t disappoint; an elongated, torturous trip through the sewers of sonic depravity heralded their return. Alongside the album announcement and subsequent fanfare, there was a hint of live shows to follow…

It is with much pleasure that we can announce that Khanate will make their live return at Roadburn 2024. This performance will be their first in 19 years and we couldn’t be happier to be playing host. Those of you who were fortunate enough to have witnessed a Khanate live show back in the day can attest to the monstrous, gut-shredding intensity of it. The world back then wasn’t a particularly pleasant place should their missives be believed, yet the circumstances into which they have re-emerged is somehow fouler still. Until April rolls around we can only speculate at what the modern-day Khanate experience will be like when it comes rumbling through the 013 main stage – we have every expectation that they will rise to the occasion.

If you’re new to Khanate, then you have plenty of time to get acquainted before Roadburn arrives. If you’re already of the Roadburn persuasion then it’s unlikely that you’ll not have brushed shoulders with some element of Khanate’s cadre over the years. Stephen O’Malley is no stranger to the Roadburn stage and the record collections of heavy music fans; best known for his work with Sunn, his creative branches reach far and wide including Burning Witch and Thorr’s Hammer. Drummer Tim Wyskida graced the Roadburn stage back in 2016 with Blind Idiot God, and also now forms one half of Insect Ark. James Plotkin’s name is no doubt liberally scattered through some of the best albums in your collection; aside from his work with Khanate and the defunct Old Lady Drivers among other creative forays, Plotkin has carved a successful career as a producer and mix engineer. Vocalist Alan Dubin (also of Old Lady Drivers), started NYC-based noise band Gnaw around the time Khanate went silent – keeping his agonised howl in fine, piercing form in the intervening years. 

Khanate’s impact (and lasting legacy) is much more than the sum of its parts, however. Their experimental approach to creativity saw them pushing their own boundaries, the boundaries of doom as a genre, and probably the boundaries of plenty of heavy music fans along the way. Khanate was never an easy listen, however whilst the music can often be disturbing and downright eerie, it can also conjure up something of a meditative effect if you truly allow yourself to be submerged in the murky depths. 

Of their upcoming Roadburn show, the band commented:

“As a collective, Khanate has been silent during our dormancy, but now we will get loud; very loud. We’ll be returning to the stage, to explore tension and the elasticity of time – at Roadburn 2024. Get dead.”

Given the wide ranging pursuits of all involved, Khanate intend to make only limited live performances and we’re honoured that they chose Roadburn to be the site of their return. With that in mind, we urge all worshippers of the low and the slow to brace for impact come April. This is going to be one for the history books. 

– Becky Laverty