Gnome | |
|---|---|
 Gnome performing live in 2023. | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Antwerp,Belgium |
| Genres | Stoner rock,Progressive metal |
| Years active | 2016–present |
| Labels | Polderrecords |
| Members |
|
Gnome are astoner rock group fromAntwerp,Belgium consisting of Rutger Verbist, Egon Loosveldt, and Geoffrey Verhulst. They have released three studio albums,Father of Time (2018),King (2022), andVestiges 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 redpointed hats associated withgarden gnomes, which fans will also wear during live performances.
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 themythical creature.[2]
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 theCOVID-19 pandemic, Gnome worked on material for their next albumKing, recording with Frank Rotthier at Rockstar Recordings in the fall of 2020.
In the buildup to the release of their second album,King, they released the single "Ambrosius" with an accompanyingmusic 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 (ofThe 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 ofMetal 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" inTuonela 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 forThe Datsuns at De Casino inSint-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 2023Louder than Life Festival inLouisville and hit smaller venues heading west until they wrapped up their tour at Aftershock Festival inSacramento 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]
On June 28, 2024, Gnome released the single "Old Soul" from their newly-announced albumVestiges of Virumex Visidrome on theirBandcamp.[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]
Studio albums
Singles