DELTA DOOM FEST TAKES OVER MEMPHIS: A NIGHT OF DOOM, UNDERGROUND METAL, AND A SURPRISE WINO FLASHBACK
Metal Devastation Radio celebrates Delta Doom Fest with a doom-heavy Zach Moonshine Show, a classic 2017 interview with Wino, and an unforgettable weekend of underground metal in Memphis.
Sometimes the best moments happen when you least expect them.
Friday night, we fired up the Zach Moonshine Show on Metal Devastation Radio for an unofficial Delta Doom Fest pre-party. There were no interviews scheduled, no elaborate plans, just a whole lot of heavy music, deep cuts, and excitement for the killer lineup heading to Memphis the following day.
We were digging into some classic doom, including music from the legendary Wino, when someone in the chat room suggested it would be cool to get him on the show.
I laughed and told them we'd actually interviewed Wino back in 2017. Naturally, I had to dig through the archives and bring that conversation back to life. What started as a night celebrating Delta Doom Fest turned into an unexpected trip down memory lane with one of the most influential figures in doom metal.
But that was just the cherry on top.
The real celebration was all about the underground, the bands, the friends, and the community that keeps this scene alive. We played music from several bands scheduled to perform at Delta Doom Fest, building the anticipation for what turned out to be one hell of a show in Memphis the next day.
And when Saturday rolled around, Delta Doom Fest delivered in every way that matters.
DELTA DOOM FEST: AN INCREDIBLE NIGHT FOR THE UNDERGROUND
Saturday brought us to Memphis for Delta Doom Fest, featuring a lineup packed with heavy riffs, crushing tones, and bands representing the best of the underground doom scene.
Ninja Witch, Red Sun Sermon, Stonewielder, Ponddigger, Megaton Communion, Burnt Witch, and Ruined God all brought their own sound and energy to the stage. Every band crushed it, the sound was amazing, and the atmosphere was exactly what you hope for when you head out to support an independent metal show.
Beyond the music, one of the best parts of the night was reconnecting with old friends and making plenty of new ones. That's what makes these events special. It's not just about standing in front of a stage and watching bands play. It's about the people, the conversations, the shared love of heavy music, and the community that continues to keep this scene alive.
Huge thanks to everyone who put Delta Doom Fest together and everyone who came out to support the bands. Putting together an event like this takes time, effort, and people who genuinely care about the music and the scene.
Memphis showed up, the bands delivered, and everybody had a hell of a time.
And speaking of doom, let's rewind to Friday night, when an unexpected trip into the Metal Devastation Radio archives gave us another reason to celebrate the music and the people who helped build this scene.
A SURPRISE TRIP INTO THE METAL DEVASTATION RADIO ARCHIVES: WINO ON A LIFETIME OF DOOM
While digging through classic doom tracks during Friday night's unofficial Delta Doom Fest pre-party, we found ourselves revisiting the music of Scott "Wino" Weinrich, one of the most influential musicians in the history of underground heavy music.
That led to a suggestion from someone in the chat room about getting Wino on the show.
The funny part? We'd already done it.
Back in 2017, we had Wino on the Zach Moonshine Show, and the original interview was sitting there waiting to be rediscovered. With the show already leaning heavily into doom metal, it was the perfect opportunity to pull that conversation out of the archives and give it another spin.
Listening back reminded us why Wino's story is worth revisiting. His dedication to music, his early influences, the evolution of The Obsessed, and his thoughts on the doom and stoner rock underground all made for a conversation that still resonates years later.
It was an unexpected bonus during a show built around celebrating Delta Doom Fest, and it fit the night's atmosphere perfectly.
A LIFE DEDICATED TO ROCK AND ROLL
For Wino, music has never been just a hobby or a career. It's a calling that has shaped his entire life, and he spoke about that responsibility with the conviction you'd expect from someone who has spent decades creating music on his own terms.
"I've lived my entire life to play rock music. I believe that I was given a birthright and that it is my duty to bring music to enrich people and uplift people in their lives and mine also."
That statement gets to the heart of what makes Wino such a compelling figure. His music has always carried a sense of purpose, whether through the crushing riffs of The Obsessed, his work with Saint Vitus, or his contributions to the broader doom and stoner rock landscape.
For Wino, heavy music is more than volume and distortion. It's something that connects people, gives them an outlet, and stays with them long after the amps go silent.
That dedication is something you can hear throughout his work, and it's a philosophy shared by many of the musicians who continue to build the underground today.
THE BLACK SABBATH SHOW THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING
Every musician has an origin story. For Wino, one of the defining moments came when he was just 13 years old.
"I saw Black Sabbath on my 13th birthday in '72... in between Paranoid and Master of Reality. That completely changed my life."
Think about that for a second. A young kid walks into a Black Sabbath concert in 1972, right in the middle of the band's legendary early run, and experiences something that would help shape his entire future.
The importance of that moment goes beyond childhood fandom. Black Sabbath helped establish the musical language that doom metal would continue to develop: massive riffs, dark atmospheres, blues-based heaviness, and a willingness to slow things down until every note feels like it weighs a ton.
Wino took that inspiration and helped build something of his own. His playing and songwriting would go on to influence countless bands that followed, proving that the seeds planted by those early Sabbath records could grow into an entire underground movement.
It's a reminder that the music we discover when we're young can stay with us for a lifetime, shaping not only what we listen to but what we create.
THE OBSESSED: WHEN THE CHEMISTRY FINALLY CLICKED
The history of The Obsessed is a major part of Wino's legacy, and the 2017 conversation offered insight into the band's return and the circumstances that helped bring the lineup together.
Reunions had happened before, but something was missing.
"I did a couple test reunions over the years, but the chemistry never felt 100% right until me and Brian hooked up again... we had a kind of an accidental jam, if you will, and that's when the seed was planted."
Sometimes the best things happen without a master plan. One jam, the right people in the room, and suddenly the spark is back.
That chemistry matters. You can rehearse until your hands bleed, but there's something different about a band that genuinely connects when the instruments come out. With The Obsessed, that connection helped reignite a project with deep roots in American doom metal.
The band's return also represented something important for longtime fans: another opportunity to experience the music of a group whose influence had grown far beyond its original audience.
For musicians who have spent decades working together, stepping away and reconnecting can bring a new perspective. Sometimes the timing simply has to be right.
VINTAGE GEAR, MODERN RECORDING, AND A $30,000 MICROPHONE
Wino also talked about the recording process, describing a studio environment that combined modern technology with the kind of vintage equipment that makes gearheads stop and pay attention.
Working with engineer Frank Marra, known as "The Punisher," the band had access to a high-end digital recording facility while still embracing the character of classic recording equipment.
"We had the best of both worlds... state-of-the-art digital recording facility with kick-ass vintage gear. I was singing into a $30,000 World War II era German microphone."
A $30,000 microphone? That's one hell of a piece of studio equipment.
But the interesting part isn't simply the price tag. It's the approach. Modern recording technology offers precision and flexibility, while vintage equipment can bring its own character and personality to a performance.
The goal isn't to chase nostalgia for its own sake. It's to capture a sound that feels alive, powerful, and true to the music.
Wino also described the attention paid to individual recording details, including selecting custom snares for different tracks. Those choices reflect the kind of care that can make a record feel cohesive without making every song sound exactly the same.
For music built around tone, texture, and atmosphere, those details matter. The right equipment can help, but it still comes down to the musicians, the performances, and the people behind the recording desk.
THE GODFATHER OF DOOM? WINO GIVES CREDIT WHERE IT'S DUE
Wino's influence on doom metal and stoner rock is difficult to overstate. His name frequently comes up whenever people discuss the architects of underground heavy music, and generations of musicians have drawn inspiration from his work.
Still, he approached the subject with humility.
"I'm very honored to be named as an influence... People call me the Godfather of Doom or whatever, but of course, we all know that's William Snider."
That last line carries a little humor, but it also says something about Wino's perspective on the scene.
Heavy music wasn't built by one person. It's a lineage of musicians, promoters, record labels, artists, and fans who kept the sound alive, often without mainstream recognition or much financial reward.
Wino also acknowledged Frank Kozik, the influential artist and founder of Man's Ruin Records, when discussing the development of the scene.
Man's Ruin became an important name in underground stoner rock, releasing music that helped connect bands and listeners across the heavy underground. The scene grew through those connections, with musicians building on what came before them while creating something new.
Wino may be one of the names most closely associated with that legacy, but his willingness to recognize the people around him is a reminder that underground music has always been a collective effort.
That's part of what makes festivals like Delta Doom Fest so important. They provide a place for bands to carry that tradition forward, for fans to discover new music, and for the community to keep growing.
A SETLIST BUILT FOR THE DIEHARDS
At the time of our 2017 interview, The Obsessed were preparing for an extensive run of live dates, with a setlist designed to satisfy longtime followers while showcasing the band's newer material.
"We're playing a pretty long set... playing six or seven songs off the new record, and then we're playing the rest old stuff too—going all the way back to the first test single."
That sounds like the kind of setlist longtime fans dream about: new material alongside deep cuts reaching back through the band's history.
For a band with The Obsessed's catalog, there's no shortage of ground to cover. Balancing new songs with older material gives fans a chance to hear where the band is going while reconnecting with the music that helped establish its reputation.
The tour discussed in the interview was also set to feature support from Karma to Burn, Lowrider, Weedeater, and Primitive Man. That's a serious lineup of heavy hitters, bringing together different corners of the doom and stoner metal underground.
It was another reminder that the scene Wino helped influence had grown into a thriving community of its own.
KEEPING THE UNDERGROUND ALIVE
Looking back on the weekend, there's a common thread running through the Delta Doom Fest experience and our rediscovered conversation with Wino: the importance of keeping underground music alive.
Friday night's show was an opportunity to celebrate the music, revisit an old interview, and get people fired up for the festival. Saturday brought the community together in Memphis for a night of crushing performances, great sound, and the kind of atmosphere that makes independent metal shows worth traveling for.
The Wino interview was never the main event. It was an unexpected bonus that fit perfectly into the celebration.
But revisiting that conversation also reminded us how much the underground owes to the musicians who helped establish its foundations. The bands playing clubs and festivals today are part of a tradition built over decades by people who believed in the power of heavy music, often long before the rest of the world caught on.
The influence of Black Sabbath, The Obsessed, Saint Vitus, and countless other pioneers can still be heard in the riffs coming from stages across the country.
And the next generation is out there right now, building on that legacy, one show and one crushing riff at a time.
Huge thanks to everyone who put Delta Doom Fest together, all the bands who performed, and everyone who came out to support the underground. It was an incredible weekend, and we're already looking forward to the next one.
If you missed Friday night's Zach Moonshine Show, catch the broadcast featuring our Wino interview flashback, deep doom cuts, and music from bands who hit the Delta Doom Fest stage.
Dig into the archives, crank up the volume, and pay respect to the legends who helped pave the way.
Stay heavy. Support the underground. Keep doom alive.
The Wino interview was originally recorded in 2017 for Metal Devastation Radio and was revisited during the October 2026 Zach Moonshine Show broadcast ahead of Delta Doom Fest in Memphis.
Full Show Track List:
Battle Of the Bands Top Six Winners:
1 - Trivan - CROWNED WITH DREAD AND POWER
2 - Mistress - Terrified eyes
3 - Soul Of Sheol - Paradise Is Not For Us
4 - Voidmaker - Of Digital Creation
5 - Solitary Sanity - Andromeda
6 - The Pharmacist Pageant - BloodAndInk
The Zach Moonshine Intro
7 - Ola Englund - Game Over/World Rift
8 - Feared - Song Of The Dead
9 - Power Trip - Precinct 3/Scavenger
10 - Blind Illusion - Smash the Crystal
11 - Plusminuszero - WASTED
12 - Down - The Myth/Blood Oath
13 - Motorhead - Ace Of Spades
14 - Tony Iommi - Stormwatcher
15 - Black Altar - Qliphotic Death Acolyte
16 - Ruined God - KINGDOM OF DISEMBOWELMENT
17 - Stonewielder - The Needle
18 - Ninja Witch - Star Ghost
19 - Burnt Witch - We Hate You - (Electric Wizard Cover)
20 - Orchid - Black Funeral/Silent One
21 - The Oath - Night Of The Demon (DEMON cover)
22 - Wino - Secret Realm Devotion
23 - Noctum - Liberty in Death/The Revisit
The Obsessed - Interview archive 2017 featuring The Way She Fly/Punk Crusher
24 - The Gates of Slumber - Death March/The mist in the mourning
25 - Hour Of 13 - Soldiers Of Satan
26 - Watain - Stellarvore/A Fine Day to Die (Bathory cover)/Fuck Off, We Murder (GG Allin Cover)
27 - B.A.I.B. - Dance With The Devil
28 - Awaiting Abigail - Backstabber
29 - Zach Moonshine - Barbarian/Elizabeth/The Devils Whiskey
Streaming now on Mixcloud!
Check out the interview archive here:
https://metaldevastationradio.com/thebeast/blog/29490/delta-doom-fest-pre-fest-party-on-the-zach-moonshine-show-featuring-wino-of-the-obsessed?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger
