Release
date: July 20th
2018. Label: Riot
Season Records.
Format: CD/DD/Vinyl
Primitive
Fuck
– Tracklisting
1.Drowsy
Shores
2.Love
The Drugs
3.Wicked
Witch
4.Summer
Spells
5.Videodrone
6.Curtains
At The Mausoleum
7.Do
You Wanna Come Out Tonight?
8.Primitive
Fuck
Members
Stuart
Gray (vocals/guitar)
Beck
Harvey (vocals/bass)
Davey
Mulka (guitar)
Ben
Davies (drums)
Review
Black
Helium is a band that is very hard to describe. Their debut album –
Primitive
Fuck
- has many complex sounding riffs that blend Stoner Rock, Drone,
Doom, Psych, Noise and even Krautrock for a different style of music.
I was quite anxious to listening to the album as the short video
trailer that accompanied the press release confused me more than it
should. As it showed that Black Helium would be playing a highly
experimental style of Drone/Stoner/Doom music.
I
shouldn't have worried as the band is currently signed to Riot Season
Records and that
great label
are experts at signing genuinely weird underground bands who deserve
wider recognition. Bad Guys and Henry Blacker are just two bands I
wouldn't be aware of without Riot Season Records help. I have to
thank them here as Black Helium is a breath of fresh air to the
Hard
Rock/Heavy Music scene.
The
only way I can describe this album is Black Sabbath jamming with
Hawkwind but then given a Krautrock makeover. Each of the songs
allows Black Helium's music to grow naturally. The album is
undeniably heavy and shows huge amounts of originality especially
when the band opt for a traditional Doom/Stoner Rock sound.
The
opening two songs - Drowsy Shores and Love The Drugs
- feel they come from two different bands. As they sound quite
different to each other.
Drowsy Shores is a drone/krautrock odyssey whilst Love The Drugs
is more of a seventies Psychedelic Doom Sabbathian Affair. These two
songs show the listener what to expect on this album and this is to
EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED.
Other
songs such as Wicked Witch, Summer Spells, Curtains At The Mausoleum
and Primitive
Fuck offer
perhaps the heaviest and craziest sounds on the album. The vocals are
quite different as well. Some of the songs have traditional style
vocal arrangements. However other parts of the album sees Black
Helium opt for a more experimental style of vocals. This shouldn't
really work. However to Black Helium's credit they excel creating
something out of the ordinary and as a result, the album becomes a
more well-rounded experience because of this.
The
production is superb from the start. As the album sounds strangely
weird and dangerously hypnotic at the same time. The instrumental
work can be quite hard to follow at first. However multiple listens
will soon rectify that issue. Primitive
Fuck
is not your most straightforward Heavy Rock album. However it doesn't
need to be.
As
Black Helium are creating a new style of Doom/Stoner Rock. The album
is highly experimental but there is a lot of hidden delights and
surprises that will impress the most jaded of Doom/Stoner Rock fan.
This album is a triumph and proves that Black Helium deserve all the
plaudits coming their way.
Words
by Steve Howe
Thanks
to Riot
Season Records for
the promo. Primitive
Fuck
will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Riot
Season Records
from July 20th
2018.
Links:
