Warlocks - Skull Worship

  by Anthony Strutt

published: 17 / 12 / 2013

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Review

Their first album since 2009's ‘The Mirror Explodes’ sees L.A.-based band the Warlocks exploring the psychedelic landscape even more. Recorded over a 2 year period, their front man Bobby Hecksher says of the new album, “Not everything fits but it all rocks together.” The Warlocks rock together in a true Velvets way, so if you get that band you will get this band. ‘Dead Generation’ shimmers until the guitar cuts in deep, before the bass and drums push in deeper. The vocals flow smoothly, and this track gets this album off to a fine start. ‘Chameleon’ is spiritual and haunting, full of echo that hangs like the moody Bunnymen, making it all consuming and a song to get lost in. ‘Endless Drops’ is much more complex, like early Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. It hangs in the air like a cloud about to rain, and, very black, is a true tribute to the dark wave of the 1980s. ‘Silver and Plastic’ is much slower, again dark, but in a different key, creating a different picture like a soundtrack to a 1960’s thriller updated for the new century. ’He Looks Good in Space is almost slocore, like Syd Barrett scoring a black and white 1950’s sci-fi movie in slow motion. ‘You're Changed’ starts off sounding like Pale Saints. The vocals drift off in a psychedelic fashion, and the music becomes grungier but also adds a lighter shade of pale. It, however, grips harder for that. ‘It's a Hard Fall’ is hypnotic in a 60’s trancey way, and totally takes away your pains of the day, and ‘Eyes Jam’, which ends the album, is a powerful backwards guitar-based number. A really brilliant album!

Track Listing:-

1 Dead Generation
2 Chameleon
3 Endless Drops
4 Silver & Plastic
5 He Looks Good in Space
6 You've Changed
7 It's a Hard Fall
8 Eyes Jam

Band Links:-

http://www.thewarlocks.com/news.php
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-War
http://www.last.fm/music/The+Warlocks
https://www.songkick.com/artists/32445

Label Links:-

http://www.zapbanana.com/