Gnome (band)

Not to be confused with Mr. Gnome or Gnom.
Gnome
Gnome performing live in 2023.
Gnome performing live in 2023.
Background information
OriginAntwerp, Belgium
GenresStoner rock, Progressive metal
Years active2016–present
Labels
Polderrecords
Members
  • Rutger Verbist (vocals and lead guitar)
  • Egon Loosveldt (percussion)
  • Geoffrey Verhulst (bass guitar)

Gnome are a stoner rock group from Antwerp, Belgium consisting of Rutger Verbist, Egon Loosveldt, and Geoffrey Verhulst. They have released three studio albums, Father of Time (2018), King (2022), and Vestiges of Verumex Visidrome (2024).

Described as "backyard music" or "bubble grunge", they are known for whimsical or silly themes in their songwriting with heavy riffs. They are easily identified by red pointed hats associated with garden gnomes, which fans will also wear during live performances.

History

[edit]

Formation

[edit]

Lead vocalist/guitarist Rutger Verbist had a long history of creating songs he deemed "silly" or "for laughs", until writing the song "Fuzz Lightyear" in September 2015, convincing him he could form a band grounded in a fun yet heavy sound.[1] He created an ad for a drummer and recruited Egon Loosveldt soon thereafter, envisioning the group as a duo. However, Verbist's longtime friend Geoffrey Verhulst would be recruited to handle bass playing, as Verbist was not able to play bass at the time. They played with names, originally playing as Sleepless Titan, until they settled on Gnome in 2016, deriving from that of the mythical creature.[2]

Father of Time (2018–2022)

[edit]

Father of Time was released on June 8, 2018. There was a release party at the Kavka in Antwerp, where Gnome were joined by other Belgian rock bands Ten Foot Wizard and Hidden Trails.[2] The album had very limited vocals and was described by the band as "very experimental".[1]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Gnome worked on material for their next album King, recording with Frank Rotthier at Rockstar Recordings in the fall of 2020.

King (2022–2024)

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In the buildup to the release of their second album, King, they released the single "Ambrosius" with an accompanying music video on February 24, 2022. Another music video for "Wenceslas" would be released on April 21, 2022.[3][4] Additional vocals were provided by Óskar Logi Ágústsson (of The Vintage Caravan). King released on May 6 and spawned an additional music video for the song "Kraken Wanker" (May 21st). That October, Gnome played at Desertfest in Antwerp at the Trix music center. They would continue to play at Desertfest in London and Berlin the following May.[5]

King was developed with a theme of a war between a fictional king named Wenceslas and the gnomes.[1] Greg Kennelty of Metal Injection praised the album, describing it as a "perfect blend of progressive rock, stoner rock, and even some fairly growly sludge all wrapped up into one beautifully weird package".[6] Peter Jerman praised the track "Wenceslas" in Tuonela Magazine's Song of The Day on December 13th, 2023, saying "I was instantly taken by their cool mix of groovy, doomy riffs, funky dance vibes, and those slightly goofy lyrics".[7]

In April 2023, Gnome opened for The Datsuns at De Casino in Sint-Niklaas.[8]

Gnome announced their "US Blasphemy Tour" in August 2023, with dates running from September to October.[9] They began by playing at the 2023 Louder than Life Festival in Louisville and hit smaller venues heading west until they wrapped up their tour at Aftershock Festival in Sacramento on October 8th.[10][11]

Following the tour, the group returned to Belgium and covered (with Atomic Vulture) for The Great Machine and Ruff Majik at Desertfest Antwerp 2023, as the groups were unable to make it.[12]

Vestiges of Verumex Visidrome (2024-Present)

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On June 28, 2024, Gnome released the single "Old Soul" from their newly-announced album Vestiges of Virumex Visidrome on their Bandcamp.[13] They released a video for the album's second single, "Golden Fool", on August 1st and the third single, "The Ogre", on September 6th.[14][15]

Vestiges Of Verumex Visidrome was released on September 13th, 2024.[16] The album reviewed well with critics in the underground stoner metal scene.[17]

Members

[edit]
  • Rutger Verbist (vocals and lead guitar)
  • Egon Loosveldt (percussion)
  • Geoffrey Verhulst (bass guitar)

Discography

[edit]

Studio albums

  • Father of Time (Polderrecords, 2018)
  • King (Polderrecords, 2022)
  • Vestiges of Verumex Visidrome (Polderrecords, 2024)

Singles

  • "Ambrosius" (Polderrecords, 2022)
  • "Old Soul" (Polderrecords, 2024)

References

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  1. ^ a b c "WFA: Gnome". Everything Is Noise. 6 March 2023.
  2. ^ a b "GNOME Release show". Kavka (in Flemish).
  3. ^ "PR033 – Gnome – King". POLDERRECORDS. 24 March 2022.
  4. ^ "Belgian stoner rock trio Gnome unveil new music video for the second single »Wenceslas« taken from their upcoming album »King«".
  5. ^ "Gnome Concert History". Concert Archives.
  6. ^ Kennelty, Greg (16 May 2022). "GNOME Dresses As Gnomes And Plays Perfectly Progressive Stoner Rock". Metal Injection.
  7. ^ Jerman, Peter (13 December 2023). "SONG OF THE DAY: Gnome – Wenceslas". Tuonela Magazine.
  8. ^ Bruwier, Niels (20 April 2023). "The Datsuns @ De Casino: Een echte, strakke rockshow". Dansende Beren (in Dutch).
  9. ^ Vigezzi, Jacopo (21 August 2023). "[News] Gnome announce their first-ever US live dates for their "US Blasphemy Tour"". Progressive Rock Journal.
  10. ^ "Louder Than Life 2023: Lineup + Ticket Information". Consequence.
  11. ^ "Aftershock Archives - Page 5". Aftershock Festival.
  12. ^ "Desertfest - Antwerp". Desertfest - Antwerp. Desertfest Belgium. 13 October 2023.
  13. ^ "Old Soul, by Gnome". Gnome. Retrieved 2024-08-06.
  14. ^ Vigezzi, Jacopo (3 August 2024). "Gnome published the official video for the second single "Golden Fool" taken from upcoming new album". Progressive Rock Journal. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  15. ^ Vigezzi, Jacopo (7 September 2024). "Gnome published the official video for the third single "The Ogre" taken from upcoming new album". Progressive Rock Journal. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  16. ^ Kennelty, Greg (2024-07-03). "If You're Not Having Fun With This New GNOME Single, You Might Be Dead". Metal Injection. Retrieved 2024-08-06.
  17. ^ "Gnome - Vestiges of Verumex Visidrome". Metalfans.be. 13 September 2024.
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