Review : HULL – “Sole Lord”

Hull – “Sole Lord”
released May 26, 2009 on The End

It’s good to hear another band besides Nile crafting music steeped in Egyptian mythology. However, rather than death metal, the Brooklyn quintet transports the sounds of southwest American sludge to the deserts of the Middle East. One doesn’t listen to Hull so much as journey with them, as one section burns into the next. The album is divided into song suites, movements, and chapters––which can get a tad confusing if you’re trying to follow along––but the story is worth your attention, beckoning with divine hypnotic fervor. The Sun’s fire dominates, from the music’s warm tones and the guiding lyrics, to its art/imagery and invocations of the god Ra. Mastered by Alan Douches (Mastodon), Sole Lord functions well as either background music or intensive listening, with vocals that are somewhere between Crowbar and Linkin Park (an odd, but palatable pairing). It’s a daunting venture, but pyramids don’t build themselves….

FCC OK. Try 1, 2, (8+)9

01. Innocence
02. Transition
03. Immortal
04. Deliverance
05. Wrath Of The Sands
06. Wanderer
07. Healer
08. Aesthetic
09. Architect
10. Vessel

Rating:  

~Matt Longo