“Bull Elephant are a wild bunch, and their particular approach to metal reflects that wildness in full measure. A bonkers combination of death metal, doom metal, stoner metal, prog, heavy metal, and the occasional dalliance with thrash, Bull Elephant’s sound offers much in the way of variation and permutation.” Now with extra Nazis!
“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.
“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.
“A concept album about a re-animated African elephant, performed in a progressive doom style? Yes, please! This is the story of some Nazi dude who wants to bring an elephant back from the dead as a new weapon, but in a Lovecraftian twist, a shaman witch gets in the way. Not only is the concept fun, but Bull Elephant insist on remaining an anonymous collective.” Mess with the bull, you get the Huck.
“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!
