Release date: October 31st 2020. Label: Self Released. Format: DD
Celestial Monk – Tracklisting1.Priestess of the Stoned Age 06:02
2.The Killer 03:59
3.Wolf Child 03:57
4.Rock and Roll Paradise 04:30
5.Revelations 04:58
6.Vinum Vere 03:02
7.Gods Of Space 06:48
8.Eternal Sunrise 10:44
Members
Vocals = Andreas Mazzereth
Drums = Paul
Guitar, Bass, Other Instruments, Production = Dan Wainwright
Blazing Middle Guitar Solo in Rock n Roll Paradise = Mike Pilat
Review
Celestial Monk is the debut album from UK Psychedelic Doom/Stoner Rock weirdos Bloody Ship and it’s an album that has an adventurous and rebellious spirit from beginning to end. The album sees the band play by their own rules by riff-ing off the established grooves from bands such as Black Sabbath, Hawkwind and KYUSS but all buried under a ton of 70s Psychedelic Spaced Out Rock with the lyrics being way out there.
Some of the members of Bloody Bishop used to be in UK Stoner Metallers GROAN who I used to be a big fan of back in the day.
The album starts off with the completely Psychedelic Bat-Shit Crazy Riffs of Priestess Of The Stoned Age where Bloody Bishop successfully establish their presence this early on within this album. It’s quite lo-fi, low-key and slowly played at times but there is something SPOOKY and MYSTERIOUS about Bloody Bishop’s music that allows my curiosity to stay the distance for some epic HAWKWIND style sounds with traces of early Monster Magnet being there in the distance.
Second song – The Killer – is a more fast-paced affair and Bloody Bishop adopting a more “conventional” Stoner Rock stance for this song with pulsating rhythms flowing between 70’s Classic Psych Rock and 90’s Stoner Rock/Metal for a cool sounding affair.
Third song – Wolf Child – is perhaps we start to fully see the “real” Bloody Bishop come into play and their music settling down for a trippy and wonderful Doom/Stoner Rock vibe but the element of surprise here is the Cosmic ideas the band bring to the party for this song and the rest of the album. This song maybe too “Pop Orientated” in places as I can hear an 80’s Electronica approach being added for a more alternative sound. This brings the best of both worlds of 80s Electronica and 90’s Psychedelic Stoner Rock.
Fourth Song – Rock And Roll Paradise – is a song that instantly spoke volumes to myself with the lush vocals appearing and Progressive Psychedelic Guitars having me under their spell. This song is perhaps the most standard “Doom/Stoner Rock” track but one that allows Bloody Bishop weird sonic experimentation to continue with a few cool surprises along the way.
The album sees Bloody Bishop play a wide array of different grooves and ideas for the 2nd half of the album with Revelations, Code Of Space and Eternal Sunrise being the other standout songs on the album. Especially with the final 18 minutes of the album being taken up by Code Of Space and Eternal Sunrise.
Celestial Monk is a quality sounding album bolstered by superb production values that allows Bloody Bishop to fully shine through with epic riffs spliced with Psychedelic goodness throughout the album.
My final thoughts that Bloody Bishop have released a brilliantly entertaining record and folks should give these guys a chance to impress with their slightly weird take on all things Psych Rock, Doom and Stoner Rock.
Words by Steve Howe
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