Release Date: April 11th 2025. Record Label: Tonzonen Records / Cargo. Formats: DD/Vinyl
Death Whistle - Tracklisting
1.Death Whistle 08:21
2.Simple Offerings 05:48
3.Valley Part II 06:03
4.Goblin Liver King 09:18
5.We Can't Be 05:40
6.Run Your River Dry 05:44
Members:
Felix Berns - Vox, Guitar
Nils Kunze - Drums, Perc
Joel Büttner - Bass, Keys
Review
Death Whistle is the new album from Psych/Doom/Stoner Rockers Rulaman who impress from the onset with their earthy and organic heavy instrumental passages which has quite a gloomy and solitary flow throughout. However, Rulaman adds a classic Proto Doom and Occult vibe to their music which allows them to have a haunting FOLK based persona appearing from the excellent vocals.
Nothing is what it seems with Rulaman as they move into heavier Psychedelic passages without notice before transforming into a sullen Psych/Post-Rock sound which they demonstrate superbly on the excellent opening title track of Death Whistle. There are traces of bands such as Green Lung and Uncle Acid appearing within the lyrics but when Rulaman add a Shamanic quality they veer closer to heavier bands with an uncompromising style of Prog Metal.
There’s some epic ambient beats and soundscapes starting to appear that is perhaps the creative backbone of the album with Rulaman demonstrating superbly instrumental solos that become quite riff-centric. You can hear other influences such as King Buffalo and All Them Witches but with that complex gloomy melody that Rulaman ultimately excels at.
Death Whistle can be confusing at times with Rulaman exploring a slightly jazzy Psychedelic journey on tracks such as: Simple Offerings, Valley Part II and Goblin Liver King being my favourite parts of the record. Everything is beautifully melodic with a sense of creative chaos being delivered just for the sheer hell of it all. The vocals from Felix Berns are daring, different and superbly delivered when he’s maneuvering through the trappings and rules of Prog Rock, Psych Rock and Stoner Metal where he puts his own personality into the mix.
The final two tracks of We Can’t Be and Run Your River Dry are perhaps not as strong as the other tracks. However, Rulaman still delivers where it counts and that’s with stylish and highly original grooves of their own making especially on the superbly realized final track of Run Your River Dry.
If you’re looking for a different and daring style of Psych Stoner Metal with some wicked excursions into Doom Rock territory then Rulaman will take you upon a grand musical adventure with their highly superb new album Death Whistle.
Excellent and Highly Recommended.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to Creative Eclipse for the promo.
Death Whistle is available to buy now on DD/Vinyl via Tonzonen Records / Cargo.
Links
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