Stygian Bough performing live at Real Art Tacoma on July 30, 2022. Screen capture from Profound Lore Records YouTube channel.
Bell Witch Canceled
Bell Witch has been one of my favorite bands since I discovered them some six years ago. Seeing them live has been a huge priority for me. They came through my area a few times prior to the pandemic, but each time, I was booked myself. And then there was the pandemic, of course.
I finally had tickets to see Stygian Bough—a collaboration between Bell Witch and Aerial Ruin—last night in Sacramento, but Bell Witch had to cancel their California dates due to “pressing personal matters.”
I certainly don’t fault the band for having to make this call, and I’m especially sad that they seem to have done it for difficult reasons. In fact, that adds to my disappointment.
Aerial Ruin did play the show in place of the Stygian Bough performance, but I had my heart set on finally seeing Bell Witch, and couldn’t bring myself to go. I don’t have a lot of doom metal friends, so I felt the need to express my disappointment here.
I recommend watching the live performance linked in the image caption above, and also checking out Stygian Bough, Volume 1 on Bandcamp.