Warlung – Vulture’s Paradise
Warlung – Vulture’s Paradise
Heavy Psych Sounds
Release Date: 04/11/2022
Running Time: 44:00
Review by Rory Bentley
7/10
As bands like Green Lung and Jess and The Ancient Ones amongst many others are garnering a big buzz in the underground, it was only a matter of time before a fuzzed up psychedelic rock band would make their way onto my release radar. Although I tend to avoid nostalgia like the plague when looking for new releases to review, there’s something about the warm analogue tones of Warlung’s brand new release “Vulture’s Paradise” that I immediately found incredibly appealing and eminently listenable. I remember feeling the same way when my uncle loaned me Witchcraft’s “The Alchemist” album when that dropped; despite my deep immersion in Sludge and Metallic Hardcore I couldn’t resist those lovely round guitar tones and that feeling of being in the rehearsal room with the band. Every now and then one of these kinds of bands will hit me in the feels at just the right time and that’s exactly what this album does.
Lifting the guitar tone entirely from Black Sabbath’s “Volume 4” is always a fantastic idea in my book, so when ‘Hypatia’ proceeds to riff my fucking face off from the get-go I’m already a happy boy. The washed-out slightly distant sounding melodic vocals are the perfect foil to the crushing slabs of fuzzed up noise and really add to the hazy psychedelic atmosphere of the record.
Things kick up a gear with the powerful melodic chorus of ‘Sky Burial’ as lush guitar lines spiral around your speakers and set the table for a full tilt Space Rock freakout in the second phase of the song which sits somewhere between peak Monster Magnet and ‘Children of the Grave’. Vocally it doesn’t sound a million miles away from Ghost’s occult catchiness, which is no bad thing unless you suck and hate good songs.
After conjuring the feeling of an intense peyote trip in the desert on the title track, the band really hit their stride on the titanic ‘Demonocracy’ which initially combines the lumbering power chord blasts and downright filthy verse riffs of ‘Snowblind’ before shifting into a mid section that is so caked in NOLA Sludge that it might be crawling with alligators. A real highlight!
Thankfully the band are capable of more than just (admittedly masterfully done) Sabbath worship, as demonstrated by the driving up-tempo swagger of ‘Return Of The Warlords’ which arrives at the perfect point in the album to switch gears and keep things interesting. Follow up track ‘Marauders’ offers an even slinkier and more taut interpretation of this approach.
Just when the fun but less memorable one-two of ‘Caveman Blues’ and ‘Worship The Void’ threaten to slightly flatten the album’s trajectory, the majestic ‘Runes’ comes in to close things out and save the day. Atmospheric, folky, soulful and hypnotic with its tribal rhythms, this is a real standout and a sound which I’d happily hear a whole lot more of. The trajectory of “Vulture’s Paradise” sees Warlung going from being competent Iommi acolytes to a vintage sounding band with many tricks up its sleeve. They tick all the Psychedelic/Stoner boxes that the beard/trucker-hat faithful enjoy, but there’s a melodic sensibility and knack for a catchy chorus which means that everyone can enjoy it.
If you like your Psychedelia with a little songcraft and a lot of melody then there’s a high chance Warlung are going to be a delightfully distorted late-addition to your favourite jams of 2022. Hook this guitar tone into my veins!
‘Sky Burial’ Official Video
TRACKLISTING:
01. Hypatia
02. Sky Burial
03. Vulture’s Paradise
04. Demonocracy
05. Return of the Warlords
06. Grave Marauders
07. Caveman Blues
08. Worship The Void
09. Runes
LINE-UP:
George Baba – Guitar/Vocals
Philip Bennett – Guitar/Vocals
Chris Tamez – Bass
Ethan Tamez – Drums
LINKS:
Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Rory Bentley and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
