Release Date: October 01st 2025. Record Label: Full Contact Safari Records. Formats: Cassette/CD/DD/Vinyl
That Fair and Warlike Form / Return To Dust - Tracklisting
1.That Fair and Warlike Form 23:11
2.Return to Dust 22:53
Members
Josh Bills - Vocals/Guitar/Keys
Will Homan - Bass
Beau Heffernan - Drums
Review
That Fair and Warlike Form / Return To Dust is the latest album from Prog/Psych/Stoner Metallers Khan who blend Post-Rock, Doom, Post-Metal and Space Rock melodies for a record that dares to different and offer a refreshing change of pace at the same time. Taking cues from the likes of Mastodon, ELDER, ISIS, King Buffalo and CAVE IN from time-to-time, Khan developed a thunderous and highly aggressive style of music of their own making.
The album is named after the two tracks that make up the album and it’s quite a lengthy journey with both tracks hitting the twenty three minutes mark. Khan adds a level of trippy mysticism into their music which is quite grounded and brilliantly fantastical at the same time. The sound can be quite profound with the Post-Rock/Post-Metal aspect allowing Khan to venture into heavier waters with the album being peaceful one moment and the next ALL HELL breaks loose with a Sludge Rock/Metal direction appearing.
The instrumental passages are highly technical with the band sounding like they have more members in their ranks other than the three members that make up Khan. The majority of the album is boosted by a thrilling Psych Rock and Cosmic narrative with long drawn out melodies that last an age. Both tracks follow a similar path to each other with Khan offering moments of gloomy surroundings on the later stages of both tracks.
The vocals from Josh Bills (who also plays Guitar and Keys) are clean based but perfectly taps into the Doom Metal and Stoner Metal environments with a commanding performance. Will Homan (Bass) and Beau Heffernan (Drums) create a formidable rhythm section where perhaps the real power comes from that allows Josh to inject some epic muscular sludgy guitars that sometimes feel they have a “neverending” quality to them.
The haunting synths, keys and ambient beats gives That Fair and Warlike Form / Return To Dust that truly OUT OF THIS WORLD feel that offers a peaceful and meditative energy even when the heavier Sludge/Post-Metal sounds fully take control for some of the most epic and cinematic feelings on the whole record.
This is music for the soul, heart, body and mind that will leave you wanting to hear more. That Fair and Warlike Form / Return To Dust is a truly original album with Khan releasing their most mature and outstanding record to date.
The only way to describe this album is BRILLIANTLY EPIC.
Words by Steve Howe
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