What’s the best thing about doom metal? Is it the massive pummelling riffs? The spaced-out stoner lyrics? No – it’s the fact that pretty much every band on the scene has a totally bonkers name.
Ahead of this weekend’s doom metal and stoner rock festival Desertfest (April 24 – 26), we’ve picked five awesome bands from the line-up and mixed them up with five equally awesome-sounding bands that don’t actually exist. Can you tell the difference? Let’s go.
1) THE ATOMIC BITCHWAX: real or fake?
![Bongsmasher](https://media.timeout.com/images/102418969/750/422/image.jpg)
2) How about BONGSMASHER?
![Bongsmasher](https://media.timeout.com/images/102418973/750/422/image.jpg)
3) Yes, it’s a famous WWII movie. But is there also a doom metal band called DAS BOOT?
![Das Boot](https://media.timeout.com/images/102418979/750/422/image.jpg)
4) Do DOPETHRONE exist or did we make them up?
![Dopethrone](https://media.timeout.com/images/102418985/750/422/image.jpg)
5) Did a band really name themselves after popular serif typeface GARAMOND?
![Garamond](https://media.timeout.com/images/102419119/750/422/image.jpg)
6) Are you convinced by ICKE AND THE LIZARD APOCALYPSE?
![Icke and the Lizard Apocalypse](https://media.timeout.com/images/102421361/750/422/image.jpg)
7) It's a v. strange name. Does LVNAR CULT pass the smell test?
![Lvnar Cult](https://media.timeout.com/images/102421369/750/422/image.jpg)
8) Is NOOTHGRUSH an actual band?
![Noothgrush](https://media.timeout.com/images/102421383/750/422/image.jpg)
9) SLY & THE FAMILY DRONE: a pun too good to be true?
![Sly and the Family Drone](https://media.timeout.com/images/102421395/750/422/image.jpg)
10) And finally, TEN FOOT WIZARD: real or fake?
![Ten Foot Wizard](https://media.timeout.com/images/102421401/750/422/image.jpg)
The real bands were: The Atomic Bitchwax, Dopethrone, Noothgrush, Sly & The Family Drone and Ten Foot Wizard.
The fake ones were: Bongsmasher, Das Boot, Garamond, Icke And The Lizard Apocalypse, and Lvnar Cult. Fake logos designed by Bryan Mayes.