Saint Karloff - Paleolithic War Crimes (Album Review)

Release Date: June 02nd 2023. Record Label: Majestic Mountain Records / Evil Noise Recordings. Formats: Cassette/CD/DD/Vinyl

Paleolithic War Crimes: Tracklisting

Psychedelic Man

Blood Meridian

Among Stone Columns

Bone Cave Escape

Nothing To Come

Death Don't Have No Mercy

Supralux Voyager

Members

Mads Melvold - Vocals/Strings/Keys

Adam Suleiman - Drums/Percussion

Review

Paleolithic War Crimes is the new album from underground Doom/Stoner Rock Heroes Saint Karloff and it's the first album since the passing of their much missed and highly regarded bassist Ole Sletner who sadly passed away in 2021. Ole was a founding member of the band and his memory is honoured on this album with Ole's brother Elvind Sletner writing the lyrics for the album. 

Saint Karloff continue with the fine grooves heard on their last album with a more confident style of Seventies Doom Metal and Swirling Psych Rock which gives the band a modern clearer sound with the heavy FUZZED OUT beats merging into a Freakier style of Spaced Out Doom/Stoner Rock. You can feel this new creative approach within the WEEDIAN and TRIPPY boundaries of the excellent opening song Psychedelic Men. Inspired by the wave of Seventies Doom Metal bands such as Black Sabbath and Saint Vitus but with a more Progressive feel.  The vocals and lyrics are top-tier with Saint Karloff having demented fun along the way. 

Second song Blood Meridian is another KICK-ASS Doom/Stoner Rock anthem where the instrumental work leads the way for the first minute or so before Mads Melvold atmospheric classic vocals appear. Taking a Spaced Out sound that would make KADAVAR proud. Saint Karloff ease their Stoner themes into the Vintage Doom/Space Rock stylings that can be wonderfully LOUD, AGGRESSIVE and CATCHY at the same time. The Psychedelic and Cosmic leanings of the track allows Saint Karloff to play more Blues Rock based extended instrumental jams with a cool sideline in moments of blissful Psychedelic Freakouts.

Third song Among Stone Columns is a subdued Post-Doom/Post-Rock instrumental song which is quite reflective and perhaps meant as a fitting tribute to Ole. As the song has a wonderfully peaceful sound that offers moments of remembrance and clarity with the semi-acoustic nature of the track. One of the standout moments musically speaking with Saint Karloff playing a different style of music to engage you more on a spiritual level.

Fourth song Bone Cave Escape throws Saint Karloff back front and centre into the Doom/Stoner Rock stratosphere with the music being more fast-paced but with a Classic Hard Rock and Garage Rock edge. The sound ultimately remains WEEDIAN based but the stunning rebellious vocals from Mads Melvold have quite a soulful 1960's edge to them. Shades of The Who and Led Zepp appear on this track with Saint Karloff paying homage to the Classic Hard Rock era with moments of Heavy Stoner Rock beats being wholly melodic from start to finish.

The final three tracks of Nothing To Come, Death Don't Have No Mercy and Supralux Voyager allows Saint Karloff  to embrace styles of Prog Rock, Acoustic Rock and Folk Rock on this part of the album especially on Nothing To Come. Fans of Jethro Tull and Deep Purple will no doubt love Nothing To Come with the different musical styles, vocal harmonies and guitar sounds that appear on this track. 

Death Don't Have No Mercy and Spuralux Voyager allows Saint Karloff to return to their boisterous and highly energetic form of Psych/Doom/Stoner Rock grooves with a more ferocious drive to the music which is another winning style for the band to impress their fanbase with.

Aided by first rate production values, Paleolithic War Crimes is a fitting and loving tribute to Ole Sletner and allows Saint Karloff to release one of their most engaging,technically impressive and brilliantly entertaining albums to date. 

Paleolithic War Crimes is another must have release from Saint Karloff who are fast becoming one of the most essential acts from the Underground Doom/Stoner Rock scenes.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Sheltered Life PR and Majestic Mountain Records for the promo.

Paleolithic War Crimes will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Majestic Mountain Records and Cassette via Evil Noise Recordings from Friday June 02nd 2023.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Majestic Mountain Records & Evil Noise Recordings Announce SAINT KARLOFF New Album "Paleolithic War" And Opens Pre-Order On Friday 10th March

Pre-order for Saint Karloff's new album 'Paleolithic War Crimes' opens   This FRIDAY at 19:00 CET/1pm EDT/10am PDT/6pm BST Official release June 2nd !

Saint Karloff - Paleolithic War Crimes Majestic Mountain Records are pleased to announce the new album 'Paleolithic War Crimes' by heavy riffers Saint Karloff! Paleolithic War Crimes come in these variants! Supralux Edition (blue+merge vinyl with 12-pages booklet!) - Gatefold (matt). 10mm spine. - 1xLP 180g heavyweight vinyl - Black polylined inner sleeve - Protected in a plastic sleeve - 33 rpm heaviness - 12 pages graphic story in a full-color booklet! Wax comes in red and blue merge STRICTLY Limited to 300 copies Psychedelic Edition (Tri-color blue/yellow/red) - Gatefold (matt). 10mm spine. - 1xLP 180g heavyweight vinyl - Black polylined inner sleeve - Protected in a plastic sleeve - 33 rpm heaviness Wax comes in tri-color blue/yellow/red Limited to 500 copies NOTE! THIS EDITION DOES NOT INCLUDE THE BOOKLET Test pressing (NOTE! Test presses doesn't ship until the release date!) -  Limited to 20 copies. Only 13 for sale.  - Comes in a Gatefold. Recorded at Duper / Solslottet Studio. Mixed, produced and mastered by Iver Sandøy.  Music written by Saint Karloff. Lyrics by Eivind Sletner. Artwork and booklet by Eivind Sletner. Evil Noise Recordings will be releasing the album on Cassette Tape on March 10th 2023 at 1900 CET Saint Karloff is: Vocals and Guitar: Mads Melvold Drums: Adam Suleiman Bass: Nico Munkvold There will be also be a big sale this weekend on many of the Majestic releases! THANKS FOR KEEPING THE UNDERGROUND ALIVE! Order here T W

Saint Karloff - Interstellar Voodoo (Album Review)

Release date: October 04th 2019. Label: Vinyl (Majestic Mountain Records), CD (Ozium Records), Tape (Stoner Witch Records). Format: CD/DD/Vinyl/Cassette Tape

Interstellar Voodoo – Tracklisting
Interstellar Voodoo

Members
Mads Melvold: Guitar / Vocals

Ole Sletner: Bass
Adam Suleiman: Drums

Review

Greetings All,

Norway’s Saint Karloff stormed onto the scene with one of 2018’s best records. All Heed the Black God was a thunderous stoned out doom psych marvel. These prolific fellows followed that was a dazzling split ep with the always impressive Devils Witches. Now, hot on the heels of that release the band drops their stunning sophomore lp. The epic Interstellar Voodoo is an impressive one track/40+ minute doom/fuzz opus. A downright fuzzed out, riff laden rock opera that shares a kindred spirit with another single track stoner rock masterpiece, Sleep’s Dopesmoker. I think it virtually impossible to not at least somewhat compare the two records. Sure, it’s heavy ass stoner rock, so there are some obvious similarities. However, Saint Karloff have forged their own patch and put their own unique stamp on this take.

To be honest, there is some difficulty in reviewing a one track album. For obvious reasons the vinyl and cassette are going to be broken into parts 1 and 2 with each part clocking in around 20 minutes, give or take. However, I would say the record plays out in what I would call movements. I’m no music major, but for the sake of my explanation, that is how I am going to roll with it.

The first movement opens with thunderous riffage that kicks into a tight, sweet groove that runs until around the six and half minute mark before some high octane ZZ Top inspired rocking kicks for a couple of minutes and then changes gears into a heavy stomp of a movement that rocks rather righteously before phasing out and slowing down around the 12 minute mark. Some slight guitar noodling leads into a bassline that launches the band into the next explosive, groove heavy movement. It is a bass driven number reminiscent of Graveyard or Witchcraft with a catchy hook and a rocking outro that by all accounts closes out the first part of the record around the 20 minute mark.

The band brings the heavy in the second half. A massive riff, monstrous bassline, and louder than god drums open the next movement that breaks down into guitar solos and crashing cymbals before giving way to the heavy ass homage to some “Sweet Young Maiden” that is a movement that is chock full of riffage and bass that doesn’t relent. The band then moves into a jazz inflected low end groove around the 26 minute mark that brings in some righteous sounding hammond organ work over the next few minutes before morphing into the dark the dark and monstrous final movement with a familiar riff/groove and some heavy strained vocals before coming to a close with some phased out, drum filled grooviness. Interstellar Voodoo does not relent, but in the best way possible.

Saint Karloff aren’t necessarily reinventing the wheel, but the are blazing their own path and setting the bar extremely high in execution and creativity. The trio are becoming the new masters of fuzzed out riffs, just as fuzz basslines, monstrous drums and lo fi vocals. If you dig stoner rock, doom, psych, blues and the almighty riff and you somehow are not yet familiar with Saint Karloff, then you need to get your head in the game. Seriously. Interstellar Voodoo is some serious shit and a definite album of the year contender. You have no choice, dig on this!

- Todd S - Instagram @alltheghoststhathauntyou

Words by Todd Stealey

Thanks to Richard at Sheltered Life PR for the promo. 

Interstellar Voodoo will be available to buy from October 04th 2019 via the following labels and formats - Vinyl (Majestic Mountain Records), CD (Ozium Records), Tape (Stoner Witch Records)

Links

Facebook | BandCamp