“This is quite the rabbit hole I’ve gone down. It started with Monsterworks back in 2018 (and again in 2020). Then I hitched a ride on a Bull Elephant, in 2019 and 2020. Not one to rest on my laurels, I then enjoyed deeply of some Thūn, on their debut last year. What do these three bands have in common? Members, for one thing, and exuberant, over-the-top delivery of bizarre tales. Here on Thūn’s second album, aptly titled II.” Thūn(der) on the tundra.
“A lot can happen in five years. Jobs come and go, kids grow up, and White Wizzard can receive a mere 3.0 review. What else can happen? Well, if I may be momentarily self-indulgent, maybe I’ve written for this Blog to End All Blogs for five years now. In fact, my first review for Angry Metal Guy, which will never be published, was written exactly five years ago to the minute in which I put quill to scroll for this review. Five years ago, the scope of metal in my windscreen was as minute as the amount of hair sprouting from the top of my head. Now I’m aware of relatively obscure bands like Monsterworks. And Bull Elephant. And now, Thūn.” Old cowboys and new bull elephants.
“It seems like I just finished writing about Monsterworks a short time ago – or did I? I mean, their last album came out two and a half years ago – or did it? Was that the last we heard of these guys? It feels like it wasn’t. Normally they’re on an album a year release schedule, so this is a big gap for them. Makes me wonder if they were up to something else during that time. In fact, I’m rather bullish on that idea. I’m also very confused.” Monsters, Inc.
“London-based anonymous prog-doom-death collective Bull Elephant are back with Created From Death, the follow-up to last year’s self-titled (and thoroughly enjoyed) debut. That debut introduced us to the story of the Bull Elephant, an undead Nazi-killing beast led by a shaman witch. It was gloriously over the top, musically, vocally, and thematically, and I wasn’t expecting this fast of a turnaround on episode 2. Yet here we go!” Like a bull in a Nazi shop.
“Mastered by the infallible Dan Swanö. A PR email that rants about the loudness wars. A heartfelt, passionate declaration that they will NOT bow to the pressures of the industry, and dad-gummit they’re going to give us a sparkling recording with Full Dynamic Range. All this and more are promised from Monsterworks on their sixteenth (!) album, Scale and Probability.” Sound and fury signifying…monsters.
“If you’ve never heard of Monsterworks before, welcome to the club. Originally expecting Black Swan Annihilation to be the debut album from a group of spritely young upstarts, I was pretty amazed to find this London-based quartet is actually one of the most productive bands since Suidakra.” Expectations are for posers!
