There’s a meme that does the rounds from time to time that espouses the importance of people who introduce you to new music so, with this in mind, I have to send big thanks to my colleague Anne-Marie for turning me on to London heavy rockers Green Lung.
Having missed their first two albums, Woodland Rites and Black Harvest (though I intend to explore at the soonest opportunity), I have entered their world on This Heathen Land: A Journey Into Occult Albion which, from its title and cover art alone sets a pretty strong impression of what to expect, only added to by an opening prologue that, if it isn’t a sample from a 1970s folk horror movie, really should be.
From there they do exactly what they proclaim answering a question I’m not sure anyone asked of what happens if you combine Black Sabbath, Deep Purple (I’m their heavier days) with elements of NWOBHM, a hint of Ghost and then get them all to watch The Blood On Satan’s Claw, The Wicker Man and A Field In England.
Following the prologue opening duo proper The Forest Church (which has an extra layer if entertainment for those from Guernsey like me) and Mountain Throne burst out of the gates with riffs and harmonies galore, combined with aspects of folklore and the uncanny drawing on history and their own, evidently active, imaginations, to create something truly intoxicating.
From there Maxine (Witch Queen) literally reads like a Hammer horror classic (aided by a suitably rowdy video clip) before they mix things up with the twisted doom-ish power balladry of One For Sorrow, which also somehow manages to throw in whatever you might call the doom version of a hardcore beatdown, and the slower and more traditionally atmospheric Song Of The Stones.
Things continue in much the same vein through The Ancient Ways and Hunter In The Sky as lead guitar and immense organ solos combine sonic eras like few others before we get to closer Oceans Of Time which sees the band tackle Bram Stoker’s Dracula (seemingly inspired as much by the early 90s movie as the original novel). There were points during this where it felt like Green Lung’s ambition was maybe outdoing their capabilities but, in the end, it all comes together admirably.
This Heathen Land, then, marks Green Lung as a band to watch, not just in the London or British scene but internationally, as on the strength of this record they have the right combination to be huge and, regardless of that, sound fantastic.
Tommy Girard 