Release Date: June 20th 2025. Record Label: Riot Season Records. Formats: DD/Vinyl
The Animals Are Coming - Tracklisting
1.Return The Curse 2.Saviour Destroyer 3.Worm Vision 4.They Have Bodies 5.Up On A Hill 6.Inside The Horror Mask
Members
Stuart Gray (vocals, guitar)
Beck Harvey (bass, vocals)
Diogo Gomes (drums)
Review
Psych Rockers Black Helium return with their fourth record The Animals Are Coming which allows each band member's creative personality to fully shine through which gives this record a more daring “fast and loose” approach compared to their previous albums. There’s more focus on SONIC experimentation from Black Helium as they embrace a heavier, dynamic and self-contained sound that allows this to become their most accessible and riff dominated record to date.
However, Black Helium still excels by playing warped Space Rock movements and extended progressive melodies which adds a heavier style of distorted warped energy through that monolithic “JAZZ” energy that’s a constant driving force for the whole album. With echoes of classic KrautRock, Glitched based noises and a serious Droned Rock attitude forming within the stunning opening track of Return The Curse which lasts over eleven minutes as Black Helium aim for NIGHTMARISH rock and roll excess.
The vocals from Stuart Gray and Beck Harvey once again offer a quality entrance into the band’s surreal and fearless instrumental passages with the distorted surroundings being quite nightmarish, fearless and highly original when the standard grooves appear.
Second track Saviour Destroyer adds a Post-Doom and Psych Rock attitude with Noise Rock arrogance which is matched against a classic Space Rock flavour. The music starts off quite slowly with a TOPSY-TURVY delivery before expanding into slices of Sixties based Psychedelic and Freakish environments that also transforms into areas of Heavy Sludge Rock.
Black Helium channel the likes of Hawkwind and Monster Magnet on the next few tracks but also showing their love and affection for bands from the legendary KrautRock scenes with a dash of Japanese based Freakouts that remains a constant and evolving part of the album to impress long time fans of the band.
Third track Worm Vision sees Black Helium play a subtle Post-Rock style delivery with that elevated Psych Rok attitude that soon aligns the record to a richer, fuller and subtle Space Rock atmosphere. The JAZZY effects are quite sullen with a slow-paced melody forming against the trippy noises, synths, glitches and other wonderfully weird sound effects.
Black Helium add an experimental Electronica vibe to their music which appears within the subdued fourth track They Have Bodies which has small amounts of intricate Proto-Doom appearing mainly thanks to the expert drumming of Diogo Gomes. Beck Harvey (Bass) and Stuart Gray (Guitar) allow Diogo to conjure up black holes into another world with Beck’s dominant bass rhythms and Stuart’s epic progressive riffs being quite heavy and remotely quiet at the same time.
The final two tracks of Up On A Hill and Inside The Horror Mask is where the old school and real magic happens with Black Helium embracing their new found reflective sound which is matched against their old-school Sludge/Stoner Rock roots. Up On A Hill is cool and welcoming for the first half before the second half becomes chaotic, aggressive with a brooding attitude forming.
Inside The Horror Mask is a ten minute plus track where Black Helium entice and deceive listeners in highly dramatic fashion with that highly melodic Post-Rock/Post-Stoner style transforming into a heavier style of freaky HEAVY METAL which is where the band excels and impresses the most.
The Animals Are Coming is another expertly played and brilliantly produced record from Black Helium that once again solidifies their reputation as one of the true original Heavy Psych Rock bands the UK underground has to offer. With stunning production values that offers a warped and fractured SONIC experience that fully rewards Black Helium of completely being in a league of their own making.
Outstanding. End Of.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to Black Helium and Riot Season Records for the promo.
The Animals Are Coming is available to buy now on DD/Vinyl via Riot Season Records
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