In no small way has there been a surprising increase in psychedelia in all that doom metal has brought to the table in recent times, and in no way is that a bad there. There has always been something to be said for those that are able to transport the listener to another realm entirely while remaining a sense of heaviness as it’s a particular curiosity in the vast spectrum of metal whose luster has yet to wane. And so long as we’re getting bands like King Bastard coming around with albums such as this, that luster will always be brilliant.
As if taking a page from the monks of Zaum, there’s a clear jungle-inspired theme that starts this record off and continues throughout the performance to really show us out of the gate that King Bastard is treading a path not taken often enough by many throughout the different realms of psychedelic doom. Even then, it’s made crystal clear that “From Whence They Came” is far more than King Bastard merely getting lost in some vines, but, rather, a crazy trip of rapid evolution and the gaining of intelligence itself through immense riffs paired with tremendous atmospheres that are always willing to give way to utterly spectacular grandeur should the occasion call for its reign. A singularly hypnotic experience but one that is more than willing to get lost in the journey and meander well off the beaten paths, “From Whence They Came” has loads of personality with King Bastard never missing an opportunity to show us what they’re really made of without exception to not just make their sophomore record something different but one that we will not easily forget. But four tracks are all that adorn this album, but it’s in what seems like very little that King Bastard achieves quite a lot.
It was with their debut album that King Bastard laid forth the groundwork, and it’s at every turn throughout this new effort that they’ve shown growth on a massive scale. While the expanding scene of psychedelic doom needed no assistance in showing off its potential, creations like “From Whence They Came” are why we keep coming back for more with names like King Bastard precisely why the sound still has such a bright future to call its own.
“From Whence They Came” releases on June 21st!
LISTEN to an advanced track from “From Whence They Came” on Bandcamp here, or via YouTube below.
LIKE King Bastard on Facebook here.
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