The psychedelic Royal Thunder is set to perform at this year’s Somergloom festival. (Photo: Noise Floor)
Somerville’s own heavy underground music festival, Somergloom, returns Friday and Saturday for its fourth year (starting with a Thursday party in Medford). With a bill characterized by genres ranging from metal to noise rock and sludge, any fan of sounds dark and slow will be able to find something to gloom to.
Friday is headlined by Montreal metal outfit Big|Brave, whose latest album, “A Chaos of Flowers,” incorporates the works of feminist poets including Emily Dickinson and Renée Vivien, putting their words to expansive and spellbinding musical compositions. On Saturday, Atlanta’s Royal Thunder takes the lead with a psychedelic take on hard rock for their first performance in the Boston area since 2018.
Other bands in the two-day lineup are local artists Final Gasp and Stephen Brodsky & Adam McGrath, members of renowned Methuen metalcore band Cave In.
This is the first year the festival takes place entirely in Somerville’s Armory building, making use of the venue’s performance hall and smaller Rooted Cafe. Fans lucky enough to squeeze into the cafe will find the shows more intimate but no less intense than those booming on the main stage.
The first two Somerglooms took place at Boynton Yards, a developing business campus pitched as “where science and culture merge,” and last year was spread out across three venues, including Davis Square’s The Rockwell, during a three-day run. LoVerme and co-organizer JJ Gonson said this year’s model of having performances on two stages on the same days fits more bands in the lineup, while keeping it under one roof makes for a cohesive and hassle-free festival experience.
LoVerme prides the festival on its inclusivity and accessibility. Two-day general admission tickets go for under $60, and VIP passes, which bring perks including a private party Thursday, are less than $100.
Somergloom, 6 p.m. past midnight Friday and Saturday, Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Spring Hill, Somerville.