Enigmatic and shrouded in mystery, the debut album Crusaders Of Joy from anonymous project bigLOVE is an ode to the experimental nature and abundance of space within doom and sludge metal. Alongside this are themes revolving around taking in the love and wonder of the world around us with unconditional devotion. Crusaders Of Joy encourages you step back and take in what’s around you. In a time where immediate connections are everywhere and there is a sharp rose in a great spiritual disconnect, bigLOVE have harnessed the weight power of doom and sludge to bring forth their philosophy of love and devotion, ultimately leaving you with the realisation that we are part of nature and not separate from it.
Whilst the juxtaposition of grim, atmospheric sludge and devotional lyrics to nature does’t seem like a natural fit for most people, but this creative expression is actually pretty wholesome. bigLOVE have created a deeply atmospheric soundscape that is ideal for gazing at sunsets on a hill, breathing in the cool air and taking in the vastness of the world. There is room for deep, thoughtful contemplation as Crusaders Of Joy wraps around you like a warm, fuzz soaked blanket, with the instinctive creation of the album it aids this concept in earnest. To avoid any unnecessary self-scrutiny that comes with modern songwriting and production, bigLOVE recorded Crusaders Of Joy as it was being written. This unrestricted creative flow shines through, as the album naturally pieces itself together as various elements gradually fall into place. As a result of this creative method, the album has an innate ebb and flow that is incredibly easy to vibe with. In many ways Crusaders Of Joy entrancing and unearthly, yet it feels grounded in something older than itself. Tapping into a new spiritual connection that strikes to the very heart of your primal soul.
The album carries an almost holy and scared energy throughout, a feeling and idea that is forever omnipresent in every track on the album. Being emitted through its gigantic riffs, sanguine melodies and the furious vocal delivery. bigLOVE captures this longing for nature and spurning of modernity that we have all felt deeply over the last few years, as the air around us became clear and clean with the ceasing of industrial activity. This concept is especially prevalent on ‘At One With’, as it slowly builds with anguish before erupting into a furious storm of modernity snubbing lyrics. It is here sludge meets melodic hardcore as the melancholic melodies engulf you and the pain of being spiritually disconnected is emphasised to the max. ‘Harnessing The Nectar Of The Queen Bee’ embodies Crusaders Of Joy’s philosophy of love, with a spoken monologue introducing out and laying out the core simplicities that a human needs to thrive in nature. The worship of nature carries through onto the ten minute sludge epic ‘A Grand Declaration Of The Gods’ and see the band push the genre’s capabilities to transcendental new heights. Despite the cavernous sound of the album, which draws influence from hardcore, sludge and doom, there is an intimate quality to Crusaders Of Joy that speaks to you on a different, subconscious level, the flanged guitars and enormous reverbs somehow feel highly concentrated as they appeal to your inner being. ‘Forever Intimate’ encapsulates this best, with a fast flurry of metallic riffs you can feel the weight of your needs to get out amongst the trees and root yourself to the Earth.
Enigmatic in every sense of the word, bigLOVE offers the soul a voice to release its frustrations with visceral power. With love being the core to being human, Crusaders Of Joy delivers their philosophy of love in a uniquely juxtaposed manner, taking the of darker nature of sludge and flipping it on its head, and shifting it into a more positive realm. Intensely expressive and incredibly intimate Crusaders Of Joy has the potential to shift perspectives on how we view the world in the most viscerally majestic manner.