LORD ELEPHANT - Ultra Soul (Album Review)

Release Date: January 30th 2026. Record Label: Heavy Psych Sounds. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Ultra Soul - Tracklisting

1.Electric Dunes

2.Gigantia

3.Smoke Tower

4.Black River Blues

5.Astral Crypt

6.MindNight

7.Leave This World With Me

Members

Leandro Gaccione – Guitar

Edoardo De Nardi – Bass

Tommaso Urzino – Drums

Review

Instrumental Doom/Stoner Metallers LORD ELEPHANT made a huge impression with their acclaimed 2022 debut album Cosmic Awakening. The band return with ULTRA SOUL and this continues  their Doomed Out Blend of Instrumental WEEDIAN and PSYCHEDELIC bliss that further develops the sonically mind inducing grooves first heard on their debut release. This time round LORD ELEPHANT plays with a heavier, richer and fuller sound that’s packed with melodic focus and COSMIC aggression which also sees a subtle style of Sludge, Prog, Ambient and Shoegaze energy.

The music can be quite forceful and solitary in places which LORD ELEPHANT develops superbly throughout the whole record with the opening songs of Electric Dunes and Gigantia playing similar strands of music to the likes of fellow instrumental doomsters BELZEBONG. The stunning mix of Sludge Metal soundscapes merging with Ambient Rock that brings a thunderous sound to the record that makes you feel you’re listening to music that’s opening the portal or gateway into a different dimension.

LORD ELEPHANT has an expert delivery by creating Post-Rock / Ambient Rock themes before expanding this into a more thrilling way of creative storytelling on tracks such as Smoke Tower, Black River Blues and Astral Crypt. The music feels more grounded and even quite fantastical at the same time with the band taking minor instrumental influences from the likes of SLEEP, HIGH ON FIRE and MASTODON but allowing themselves the opportunity to play their own highly original sound. 

Strands of eerie Post-Rock and Shoegaze appear momentarily with the subtle shadows of Psychedelic Rock and Space Rock holding everything together. The second half of ULTRA SOUL is where Lord Elephant become more daring with their music and even CINEMATIC as the whole atmosphere is moody, catchy and brilliantly EPIC on the final two tracks of MindNight and Leave This World With Me. With a sudden appearance of DRONE and DISTORTED surroundings, Lord Elephant really pulls out all of the stops within the final stages of the whole record.

With a neverending supply of FUZZED OUT AMPLIFIERS, LORD ELEPHANT, have released an album that’s better in every department compared to their debut album. Ultra Soul is everything you want, fully deserve and could possibly wish for an Instrumental Doom/Stoner Metal album that will no doubt go down a storm within the underground community and allow LORD ELEPHANT the opportunity to play on some of the most prestigious FESTIVAL slots within the scene.

Mind-blowing. End Of.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the promo.

Ultra Soul is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Heavy Psych Sounds.

Links 

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Doom/Stoner Metallers LORD ELEPHANT Premiere New Song/Video For GIGANTIA From Upcoming New Album ULTRA SOUL

Lord Elephant are back with their second studio album "Ultra Soul", a psyched blend of 70's, 90's and 00's extravaganzas mixed together with the distinctive heavy breath of the band. Blues, doom and sludge are fused again in the strange trademark of the trio, allergic to genre-labels and ready to expand the vision beyond cages!

Recorded, mixed and mastered at Studio 73, Ravenna, by Riccardo Pasini (Nero Di Marte, Ephel Duath, Ottone Pesante..)

Artwork and Layout by JJ Farfante ArtLab (Melvins, Mudhoney, Ufomammut).

We're excited to premiere the stunning and superbly heavy new song GIGANTIA from their upcoming new album Ultra Soul thanks to the amazing folks over at Purple Sage PR and Heavy Psych Sounds.

The band say this about the song:

"The main inspiration for this track comes by the majestic sight of the ancient megalithic stones of Gigantia, located in Malta. The timeless feeling evocated by temples, stones and art, takes form in the heaviest tune of the album, a fuzzy slap that remembered us the filthy roots we came from. Written straight after the release of the first album, we think at it like a bridge between the two albums, containing relevant elements from both of them. Close your eyes and feel the primitive vibe of this enchanted magical place!"

Ultra Soul will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Heavy Psych Sounds from January 30th 2026.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Exclusive Album Premiere Of Lord Elephant New Album Cosmic Awakening Released by Heavy Psych Sounds

 

Release Date: July 08th 2022. Record Label: Heavy Psych Sounds. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

Cosmic Awakening - Tracklisting

Cosmic Awakening Pt 1 - Forsaken Slumber

Cosmic Awakening Pt 2 - First Radiation

Hunters Of The Moon

Desert Collision

Raktabija

Covered In Earth's Blood

Stellar Cloud

Secreternal

Members

Leandro Gaccione - Guitar

Edoardo De Nardi - Bass

Tommaso Urzino - Drums

Review

Lord Elephant was raised by Edoardo and Leandro in 2016 after the split of their previous “napalm blues” band Random’N’Roll and the entry of Tommaso Urzino behind the drum kit. 

With diversified and complementary experiences the trio melt its passion for blues stoner fuzzy and improvised music into a personal journey of acid psychedelia graced with heaviness and tasty riffs as well. 

After almost five years in the work the DEBUT ALBUM seals the final result of the long road made by Lord Elephant in their musical research finding in Heavy Psych Sound Records the best possible partner to expand their sound as far as they can!

You can read my review here.

You can hear the album in full with this exclusive album premiere courtesy of the cool folks over at Purple Sage PR and Heavy Psych Sounds.

Thanks to Claire at Purple Sage PR for the promo and all of the details.

Cosmic Awakening will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Heavy Psych Sounds from July 08th 2022.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp

Lord Elephant - Cosmic Awakening (Album Review)

Release Date: July 08th 2022. Record Label: Heavy Psych Sounds. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

Cosmic Awakening - Tracklisting

Cosmic Awakening Pt 1 - Forsaken Slumber

Cosmic Awakening Pt 2 - First Radiation

Hunters Of The Moon

Desert Collision

Raktabija

Covered In Earth's Blood

Stellar Cloud

Secreternal

Members

Leandro Gaccione - Guitar

Edoardo De Nardi - Bass

Tommaso Urzino - Drums

Review

Cosmic Awakening is the debut album from Psych/Doom/Stoner based Instrumentalists Lord Elephant and is a Spaced Out Adventure that focuses more on Extended Jams to get their Psychedelic message across the Stoner Rock underground. Taking an Earthless style narrative with a heavy sideline in the gloomier style of Psych Doom/Stoner Metal that will appeal to fans of Belzebong in places.

The album opens with the excellent two-part songs of Cosmic Awakening Pt 1 - Forsaken Slumber and Cosmic Awakening Pt 2 - First Radiation. With heavy instrumental psych jams that bring a certain Blues Rock vibe flavour before Lord Elephant start playing "AMPLIFIER" fast paced riff worship whilst a cool "LOW & SLOW" attitude appears before that. The songs are constantly changing Psychedelic Stoner Rock moods and allows the band to impress with their direct style of Instrumental Rock/Metal.

Perhaps playing with more "Aggressive Energy" on the later stages of both tracks, this is a good indication on where the album ends up becoming on the other songs of the album. However, this highly talented "Power Trio '' sure knows how to play sublime extended riffs that last an age. Quite progressive in places and even seeing the band merge the different sounds of Classic era Instrumental Stoner Rock with the modern day Psych Doom Metal grooves that allows the music become ever so heavier.

Third song Hunters Of The Moon is my favourite track on the album with Lord Elephant bringing a "Drone" quality to the album whilst still having a SOLID sounding Blues Rock flow switching between Doom Metal and  almost Ambient Stoner Rock. The Psychedelic Swirls can be "Jazzy" in places with the band keeping the music warm and engaging from start to finish. The song is fast paced with Lord Elephant playing through many different movements of the Doom/Stoner Rock underground with a few surprises along the way. The instrumental work is sublime yet again from Lord Elephant and creating highly original groove of their own making.

Other standout songs include: Desert Collision, Raktabija, Stellar Cloud and Secreternal. 

As Lord Elephant goes even wilder and crazier with their musical themes and ideas that sees the band become more gloomier on the later parts of the album. However, the music still retains that fantastic "WEEDIAN" energy with Lord Elephant impressing with their lush sounding melodies and superbly played music.

Perhaps multiple listens are required to get the full understanding of the album. As it's quite complex and multi-layered with the different styles of music they employ for their creative vision.  Backed by wonderful production values that isn't that surprising since this is a Heavy Psych Sounds release. 

Lord Elephant have released an outstanding debut release that will see the band make a name for themselves within the Doom/Stoner Metal underground.

Awesome stuff...

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Claire at Purple Sage PR for the promo and all of the details.

Cosmic Awakening will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Heavy Psych Sounds from July 08th 2022.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp

Lord Elephant Premiere New Song Raktabija From Upcoming Debut Release Cosmic Awakening via Heavy Psych Sounds

BAND BIO:

Lord Elephant was raised by Edoardo and Leandro in 2016 after the split of their previous “napalm blues” band Random’N’Roll and the entry of Tommaso Urzino behind the drum kit. With diversified and complementary experiences the trio melt its passion for blues stoner fuzzy and improvised music into a personal journey of acid psychedelia graced with heaviness and tasty riffs as well. After almost five years in the work the DEBUT ALBUM seals the final result of the long road made by Lord Elephant in their musical research finding in Heavy Psych Sound Records the best possible partner to expand their sound as far as they can! 

ALBUM DESCRIPTION:

“Cosmic Awakening” is the first offering ever released by Lord Elephant in its lifetime. Rather than concentrate ourselves on other outputs, we wanted to celebrate the long road made together as musician and human beings, that made as background in the progressive construction of this album, with a proper debut album, long in its creation as the band itself. Through the episodes of this journey, the trio experiences different moods and sounds on the path, sealing through the dreamy waves of space and acid rock towards the perilous reef of heavy blues, stoner and sludge metal, finding strength and inspiration in the solid cohesion that bound the three of us. Steady rooted in the metal, rock and blues tradition, “Cosmic Awakening” tries to find a personal manner to melt heavy music and psychedelia, shadows and lights, with a focused starting point, but going to nowhere defined… 

LINEUP:

Leandro Gaccione – Guitars 
Edoardo De Nardi – Bass 
Tommaso Urzino – Drums

You can hear the Exclusive Song Premiere of Raktabija from the upcoming new album "Cosmic Awakening" out July 8th on Heavy Psych Sounds PREORDER LINKS

All Music written and performed by Lord Elephant

Recorded, mixed and mastered at Audiovolt Studio in August/September 2021

Artwork and Layout by Coito Negato. 

FACEBOOK - BANDCAMP

Thanks to Claire at Purple Sage PR for all of the details.