Wicked Doom Festival – Mean Green, Sundrifter, Üga Büga, Worshipper, & Ghosts Of Jupiter Live 8/29/26
Live at Ralph’s Rock Diner in Worcester, Massachusetts USA *August 29th 2026*
This past Saturday night, my friend Sam and I attended the Wicked Doom Festival in Worcester, Massachusetts. The show was at Ralph’s but it was outside! The weather couldn’t have been nicer that day and the stage setup outside was excellent. Ralph’s has a patio outside with a nice big area with a raised stage. There was also an ice cream truck there selling delicious ice cream. The show started somewhere around 5:00 pm and lasted until about 1:00am. We arrived just after 7:00 pm and the first couple of bands had or were already playing. We saw our friend Pete and hung out with him and we greeted a few other familiar faces too. I started really paying attention when Ghosts Of Jupiter took the stage. I had a great time overall and all of the bands were terrific!
GHOSTS Of JUPITER
I had never heard of Ghosts Of Jupiter before and they were great! The band is from Boston and features Nate Wilson on lead vocals, keyboards, and flute, Tommy Lada on bass, Pierre Aleksi on guitar, and Barrett Goeman on drums. Active since 2011, the band have released 2011’s Self Titled, 2013’s Green Is Gold Vol. 1, 2016’s The Great Bright Horses, and 2021’s Keepers of the Newborn Green. They play a great mixture of 70’s influenced rock with funky grooves and psychedelic elements. Nate Wilson jammed on the flute for one of their songs and he’s an exceptional keyboard player too. Tommy Lada really set the groove in place with his cool bass lines that connected perfectly with the excellent drumming and guitar playing. Collectively, they sounded awesome and set the tone for the rest of the night. I enjoyed their performance a lot and appreciated their music, as it was different from the rest of the lineup.
https://ghostsofjupiter.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/ghostsofjupiter?mibextid=wwXIfr&mibextid=wwXIfr
WORSHIPPER
Worshipper are really starting to grow on me! For whatever reason, I couldn’t fully connect to their studio recordings and I’m sure it’s just a timing thing. However, watching the band play live is awesome! They started out as a quartet but have since scaled down to a power trio. They consist of John Brookhouse on guitar and lead vocals, Dave Jarvis on drums, and Bob Maloney on bass and backing vocals. Currently signed to Magnetic Eye Records, they have released 2016’s Shadow Hymns, 2019’s Light in the Wire, and 2024’s One Way Trip. I have seen them play live several times and they keep growing on me with every performance. I recently saw them play with Earthlore, Restless Spirit, and Gozu (review here). I must admit, I think I prefer them more as a three-piece band. Each musician is very talented and the clarity and power of each instrument comes together in a hulking blend of heavy metal and hard rock. They bring the riffs and melodies with a tightness and precision that can’t be denied. I was really digging their set and was able to chat with them afterwards. They are really nice guys and I have a greater appreciation for their music because they bring it, in a live setting.
https://worshipper.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/share/1Hk1kysoXY/?mibextid=wwXIfr
ÜGA BÜGA
A big reason on why I wanted to go to this festival is because of Üga Büga. They are a heavy stoner/ sludge metal band from Virginia. They drove over ten hours just to play this show and they absolutely crushed it! The three-piece, consisting of Calloway Jones on guitars and vocals, Niko Cvetanovich on bass, and Jimmy Czywczynski on drums, were on their game! They have released a debut album, 2024’s Year Of The Hog, and their latest sophomore release, 2026’s Valley Of The Wolf (review here). Opening their set with the lead off track from Valley Of The Wolf, “Divine Slaughter (Backyard Barbecue Bonanza)” and the second banger “Earthsuckers”, they leveled the place! Üga Büga brought the energy, riffs, and fun to their performance. You could really tell they were having a great time, smiling and joking around on stage. The music could be heavy and nasty at times with screaming vocals and then go into a slower hard rock and sometimes progressive ensemble. I really find this band to be unique and original, and such an asset to the scene. I was lucky enough to talk with the guys a lot after and they were super friendly and nice. I wanted to help them out so I bought a bunch of merch so they can make it back with a little money, at least.
https://ugabuga.bandcamp.com/music
https://www.facebook.com/share/1DASA3KCNe/?mibextid=wwXIfr
SUNDRIFTER
Sundrifter always sounds great live! I always enjoy the heavy psychedelic and cosmic sounds of the band, also from Boston. I am fortunate enough to see them quite frequently throughout the year and it’s always a pleasure. At first, this band took a little bit to grow on me, but once they connected, it was over! The band consist of Craig Peura on vocals and guitar, Paul Gaughran on bass, and Patrick Queenan on drums. They have released 2016’s Not Coming Back, 2019’s Visitations, and their latest 2024’s An Earlier Time (review here). Sundrifter are gearing up to release something new and they put on a stellar set at Wicked Doom Fest. The coolness and swagger of a band that is comfortable and committed to their sound and performance. Sundrifter will be playing at the next Planet Desert Rock Weekend Festival so I am very happy about that.
https://www.sundrifterband.com
https://sundrifter.bandcamp.com/music
https://www.facebook.com/share/1CBGEkUCXj/?mibextid=wwXIfr
MEAN GREEN
The last band to play at the Wicked Doom Festival was Mean Green, from Boone, North Carolina. Their sound is a bludgeoning mix of crushing sludge, doom, and gritty rock. They were loud and the vocals raspy. The band consist of Jake Helms on guitar and vocals, Alex Wierback on bass, and James Matthews on drums. Their releases includes their 2023 Self Titled album and their latest sophomore, 2026’s Castle. By the time they went on, I was fried! It was nearly 1:00 am and I couldn’t quite make it until the end. The band was viscous and my friend Sam was jealous of guitarist Jake’s tone. We left midway through their set and said our goodbyes and everything. It was another fantastic night of heavy underground music and more terrific interactions with some of these excellent bands.
