von Stroheim

von Stroheim is a trio from Brussels, Belgium. It was founded in 2014 by Dominique Van Cappellen-Waldock (vocals) and Raphaël Rastelli (baritone guitar). Their current drummer is Joël Parmentier. Their style can be described as doom blues and includes influences from doom, post-metal, sludge, goth and heavy-psych music with elements of indie and noise rock. The band includes a female vocalist, does not have a bass player but rely on the extensive use of a baritone guitar which, with a proeminent drummer, the added colour of a few synths and theremin, gives it a unique and dark sound. In early 2014, Dominique Van Cappellen and Raphaël Rastelli (both members of Naifu and Keiki) founded von Stroheim. Christophe Van Cappellen (Dominique’s brother) completed the original line-up. The band’s debut EP Sing for Blood was released through Navalorama Records in April 2015 in a limited edition of 150 hand numbered copies in black kraft with printed inserts. Christophe Van Cappellen left in December 2015 and was replaced by John Thys. In the Spring of 2017, von Stroheim were artists in residence at La Maison des Musiques (Brussels) to work on a live soundtrack for "Impatience", an avant-garde film by belgian director Charles Dekeukeleire (1928). Drummer John Thys left the band during the summer of 2017 but recorded 7 tracks out of 9 on Love? Who Gets Love? the band’s first full length LP. A year later, he was replaced by Yannïck DaÏf, who recorded the remaining songs. Love? Who Gets Love ? was released in April 2019 through Uproar For Veneration and Off Records. It features guest appearances by Pete Simonelli from Enablers, Caroline Blanchet (ChooChooShoeShoot) and Franz Krostopovic (Pale in Grey) and received critical appraise. During 2020, without the possibility of paying gigs because of the covid-19 pandemic, von Stroheim composed and recorded new material. A first batch of songs appeared on The Beautiful, Not the Damned - 4-track EP - in autumn 2021 on Navalorama and Off Records. The artwork, as on all their previous records, was conceived by belgian collage artist David Crunelle. von Stroheim has been described as cinematic doom, compared to "PJ Harvey singing with Black Sabbath", "Patti Smith meets Swans", "Neurosis featuring Jarboe", and even "Amon Duul II in salsa stoner".