Album Review: Kulk’s damn fine debut album ‘here lies kulk’


Kulk is Thom Longdin (Guitar and Vocals) and Jade-Ashleigh Squires (Drums and Synth). Their new debut LP ‘here lies kulk’ is heavy and noise filled, due 21st August 2020 on Hot Fools Records. The album was recorded at Rum Records locally in Ipswich on half inch tape in true fuzz style with the band taking an active role in the production of the album.

“Making this record has been about simplicity, in its rawness and rudimental nature. Sometimes the most complicated thing is how simply it comes together.” Jade

Stuttering feedback and a lesson in noise sums up ‘A Happy Death’ nicely. The song shouts and growls with shear confidence rarely heard in debut albums. Ending in a doom groove echoing early Sabbath the track fades in to ‘My Fair Neighbour’ with it’s earth shattering drums and trademark Kulk shout vocals. Vocal that sound as if they were shouted from the corner of the room. These guys have crafted their own sound early on.

Next track ‘A long time’ takes things slow in a slick doom laden groove before kicking it up a notch in intensity and volume. It wears away the soul. ‘Unheimlich’ carries on that soul tearing with heavy fuzzed chords and the same passioned injected vocals.

‘Slaughterhouse V’ is the perfect combination of slow and sleezy guitar heavy on the bass ready for stepping up the groove with ‘Giallo’ and back down again to end the album with the demonic ‘Three Mothers’ and ghostly ‘Fuzz War’ both crawl out of the speakers in an unnerving gait with ‘Fuzz War’ swirling in a fuzz tornado of feedback and crashing drums.

This album is a noise filled sabbath-esk treat. The doom chords and fuzzed up guitars hide intricate melodies and menacing promise through feedback and overdriven noise with some heavy chord thrashing when needed. With the aggression of punk and inspired by The Melvins sludged up doom, ‘here lies Kulk’ is unnerving at times with moments of barely restrained aggression. Epic sounding guitars supported with just the right amount of drumming, the band have created music thats all atmosphere and feeling at no expensive of the songwriting. It’s bloody brilliant.

Check out My Fair Neighbour, below:

Get the album here

Find out more about Kulk via their Facebook or their Bandcamp

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