Impression: Tracklisting
1.The Throne - 03:31
2.The night - 05:24
3.The Giant's march - 06:56
4.Weak heart - 05:13
5.Megalodon - 04:21
6.New Babylon's wall - 05:03
7.We are aliens - 02:46
8.Cyber slaves - 05:19
9.Pyramids - 03:37
Review
Kayleth have always focused upon the more outlandish and spaced out style of Stoner Metal especially with their last two albums of 2020 Back To Earth and Colossus that has seen both those albums become highly regarded within the underground community. Though my favourite album of theirs is the classic 2015 release - Space Muffin.
However, Kayleth have released their most OTT and OUT THERE record to date with New Babylon. Look at the album cover with Astronauts riding Dinosaurs battling UFOs in the background.
The album is still classic STONER METAL through and through with Kayleth inspired by the legendary bands of the scene such as KYUSS, Monster Magnet and FU MANCHU. However, Kayleth are now starting to develop their original FUZZED UP and Progressive mix of Stoner Metal with even more fuzzier guitars and psychedelic loops appearing within the opening tracks of The Throne, The Night and The Giant’s March.
Kayleth play a distorted style of music compared to their last two albums with the record having a Post-Doom attitude appearing with the Psychedelic Sludgy Guitars that the band play with determined focus. The band did a little experimentation on their last album which they do even further on New Babylon.
So be prepared for different SONIC rhythms and passages which may take you out of your comfort zone. Though, everything is still contained within a vortex of thrilling Stoner Metal grooves, heavy Psychedelic and first rate Ambient sounds which gives Kayleth a lot more creative ground to play for the outlandish story they’ve written for this album.
New Babylon is more cinematic on the later stages of the record starting with the epic sounding tracks of Weak Heart, Megalodon and New Babylon’s Wall allowing Kayleth to venture further into the Space Rock abyss with the constant Progressive Rock aggression perhaps grabbing all the creative headlines to impress listeners with.
The final tracks of the album sees Kayleth wrapping up the story to a highly satisfactory conclusion with the neverending style of Psychedelic Stoner Metal guitar passages becoming more forceful and intense on tracks We Are Aliens, Cyber Slaves and Pyramids. If you’re expecting Kayleth to play a more hopeful style of Stoner Rock/Metal then I’m happy to say that won’t happen at all. As you can hear, Kayleth is inspired by MOTORHEAD in places especially within the faster and sludgier parts of the record.
New Babylon ranks next to Space Muffin as Kayleth’s best album for me and one that contains some of their best grooves of their career to date.
Sublime. End Of.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to Grand Sounds Promotion for the promo.
New Babylon is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Argonauta Records
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