Review: Cult Of Dom Keller ‘Unholy Drum’
In what now feels like an eternity ago with the way I’m experiencing the passage of time, in May of 2021, I wrote my second review for The Shaman, They Carried The Dead In A UFO, the fifth album from Nottingham, UK’s long-running psychedelic noise outfit, Cult Of Dom Keller. Needless to say, a lot has happened since then, but they wound up inhabiting a curious spot in my black, rock and roll heart.
As it was one of my first reviews, I dug their mind-melting, industrial-tinged, psych/noise attack, and I’ve been forever fascinated with that completely out-there name. I often wondered if I’d hear from these guys again, then, after a five-year wait, lo and behold, they return with their sixth full-length, Unholy Drum. Joining them this time around is Angus Andrew from LIARS, who entered their orbit and served in the dual role of collaborator and producer as he helped guide them through their ongoing musical evolution.
This premise is on display once we get through the initial wave of sound and effects on opener Live Without Life, as the band quickly shifts gears into a more dreamy, melodic affair that had me recalling acts like The Stone Roses and Spacemen 3. And while still possessing some of the swirling psychedelic noise and guitar that engulfed their previous album, this is a far cry from that reality-warping vortex of sound.
Next up, Let Me Go, Satan features an addicting, fuzzy, rumbling bassline that anchors the song, thus allowing the group to continue to explore this more melodic, less chaotic approach to their craft. Featuring an abundance of airy synths and effects, in addition to a wealth of soaring vocals, they strike a nice balance between the psych insanity of earlier releases, while also tapping into the UK’s long, rich history of guitar-driven, yet euphonious rock bands.
Disappear sees them veering back towards their established noise effects and synth-heavy approach, which is once again balanced by the distorted, yet dulcet vocals. There is some serious build and musicianship on the grand, yet weird B(o)ing, wherein the group unleashes a deluge of introspective vibes. Featuring an array of instrumentation, including bowed instruments combined with an assortment of psych-heavy synths, it leads the listener on a journey culminating in an epic, soaring middle section. For this reviewer, it made for one of the album’s highlights.
a unique entity in the realm of psychedelic rock music…
Entering the second half of the album, we are hit with the weighty, bizarre Leaders With Hooves, which evoked the darkest energy of The Jesus And Mary Chain, but as if they were shot through a portal of industrial weirdness. Perhaps I’m wrong, but I interpreted both the song title and the lyrics to be a rebuke of the orange man and his policies that have negatively affected not only my country but the entire world at large.
Void Horizon, whilst carrying the band’s peculiar energy – including some curious, Star Trek The Original Series-style moaning throughout – is an accessible yet strange blend of UK post-punk and ‘90s Brit-pop melody. Meanwhile, Shoot My Mind is a mind-bending, mid-tempo combination of psychedelic riffery with eccentric effects and instrumentation that includes a frickin’ banjo(!).
As we begin our descent into the album’s conclusion, the penultimate They Cut The Heart From Out Of The Sky is literally all over the place with all sorts of swirling synth-peculiarities and start-stop rhythmic eccentricities. These are bolstered by the now-familiar, fuzzy rumbling basslines and melodramatic vocal stylings that would have even the most jaded of psychedelic rock fans nodding their heads in approval. Galaxies SOS is a fitting conclusion to this quirky, unique album as the group careens back and forth between melancholic, spacey, synth-heavy weirdness and guitar and bass-driven post-punk, with literally anything and everything in between incorporated for good measure.
I enjoyed Unholy Drum quite a bit, and it was cool to see them return. However, if I’m being honest, the insane, noise-and-psyche vortex of They Carried The Dead in a UFO is more in line with my overall tastes than some of the overly melodic, soaring passages found here. Nonetheless, they remain a unique entity in the realm of psychedelic rock music, and I must give the band their flowers for continuing to evolve and push their sound forward. Hopefully, we will not wait another five years for the next Cult Of Dom Keller release, as I also look forward to someday finally finding out who Dom Keller is and why he’s deserving of a cult.
Label: Fuzz Club Records
Band Links: Facebook | Bandcamp | Spotify | Instagram
Scribed by: Martin Williams
