Church of Misery

Bring on the stoner doom. The final day at MDF was filled with it, and one of the highlights were Japan's Church of Misery. The band performed a brilliant set as the sun shined down. Their sound mixes early Black Sabbath with psychedelic doom and stoner rock, and their lyrical themes are about serial killers and mass murderers. "I, Motherfucker (Ted Bundy)," from 2004's The Second Coming, is as heavy and depressing as it sounds, particularly in a live setting, as vocalist Hideki Fukasawa screams with harsh intensity. At times, Church of Misery sound as if they're straight out of the '70s, with surges of heavy guitar riffs and incendiary leads. Bell-bottom pants and John Lennon-style sun glasses also helped them look the part, as their heavy grooves and catchy riffs were simply captivating, which made standing out in the hot sun entirely worth it.