Lublin, a city that sits in Eastern Poland, must have something strange in the water. You may recall, if you are a dedicated reader of Rip It Up, how we featured the city’s immense Major Kong, who purvey a slow, stoner-y sound that suggests much too long spent in second hand record shops and a liking for rare herbs. Well, I can tell you that I have recently been contacted by another band based in Lublin, this one called Dopelord, who are also immense, slow, downtuned and frankly bloody wonderful.
Dopelord consist of four members – Klusek – bass, Mroku – guitar, Arek – drums and my new contact, Miodek – who handles guitar and voices – although the main output of the band is that wonderful instrumental attack that we so loved with Major Kong. Think dark, seedy club, low, green lighting, a haze of smoke flickering around candles, and lusciously thick, slow, downtuned riffiage. This is a mixture of potent forces from all the ages of music, including St Vitus, Sabbath, Fu Manchu and as I have remarked before, a touch of the stand up righteousness of the Holy MC5.
Seven thick slabs of riffs are presented to the listener in this release, entitled ‘Magick Rites‘. The songs ooze a strange, very intense green juice which might be a herbal extract. They just don’t let up – this is what guitars were invented for. What Dopelord have understood in their herbally enlightened state is that the stringed instrument was put on the earth to impart a higher form of consciousness to the human mind, thus enabling us to rise above the pettiness and pointlessness of our day to day endeavours. Fuzzed out, distorted, wah-wah crazed chords just rain down on you as you listen, stunned, but pleased by your new found perspectives.
What I know is that, whilst you are in this state, which you have entered simply by clicking on the ‘play’ button of the Bandcamp widget below, you will realise that $3 is a pitifully small price to pay for such a stunning album of heaviness. Get it – now, before I click my fingers and wake you up!
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