Green Lung’s rise to prominence has been damn near unstoppable. Initially formed in London in 2017, the band’s occult rock influenced proto-metal swiftly found a hungry audience. Even the global pandemic could not slow down their progress, planting their flag in 2021 with the release of their second album, the critically acclaimed Black Harvest. Playing to packed out tents and venues at festivals such as Bloodstock, Download, Desertfest and Roadburn, recruiting followers en masse in the UK and across Europe and opening for the likes of stoner-rock icons Clutch on an international tour. 2023 brings with it the bands most ambitious work so far, This Heathen Land, an attempt to “create the definitive soundtrack to the folk horror film in our heads” as vocalist Tom Templar puts it.
The album’s introduction immediately sets an appropriate tone, a short introduction preluding opening track ‘The Forest Church’ revels itself in manifesting atmosphere. Harking back to 1970’s documentaries on ancient Britain, mono synths that wouldn’t sound out of place on a Goblin soundtrack and an spoken word passage in the style of a news report introducing the albums themes in a grand fashion. When Matt Wiseman first strikes the drums it send shivers down your spine, the bombastic main riff of ‘The Forest Church’ wraps its arms around your neck and forces you to headband along and air guitar to the infectious guitar melodies. The verse leaves a light backing of organ, bass and drums for the focus to sit on Tom Templar’s haunting vocal performance. The instrumental starts slowly layering, building and swelling towards the anthemic fist pumping chorus that’s sure to enrapture live audiences into massive sing-a-longs.
The choice of ‘Mountain Throne’ as the debut single was a smart one. Arguably the most straightforward track on the album, its heavy metal through and through. Thunderous stoner riffs with melodic hooks thrown in that sound like the combined child of Deep Purple and The Sword, whilst Queen keeps an eye on them for the weekend. “Maxine (Witch Queen)” has a powerfully catchy chorus that will not let itself out of your head, repeating for days on end. The band come eerily close to sounding like Ghost here, which isn’t much of a surprise considering they draw from similar inspirational wells musically. Final single before release ‘One For Sorrow’ is absolutely monolithic. Defiantly leaning into the stoner doom label that is often used to paint the band, this is easily the heaviest song they have written so far. Juxtaposed with the tempered verse, keeping the energy simmering low with organs/synth and a more quaint vocal delivery adds to the grandiose explosive power the chorus holds.
“...sounds like the combined child of Deep Purple and The Sword, whilst Queen keeps an eye on them for the weekend.”
The production team behind the album did an phenomenal job of curating a sound in line with the bands ambitions. Wanting to capture the energy of the late 70’s and early 80’s production of Martin Birch, famous for his work with artists such as Deep Purple, Rainbow & Black Sabbath. Recorded, engineered and produced by Wayne Adams (Wallowing, Petbrick), as with the rest of their back catalogue, however they’ve drafted in Tom Dalgety (Opeth, Clutch, Ghost) to mix the album this time around. Between them, Green Lung sound fine tuned into that classic approach, everything sounds pristine and suitably massive. There is so much going on in the details of the songwriting that each listen will yield new melodies here or vocal harmonies there, even after multiple repeat listens.
‘Song Of The Stones’ is a welcome break in the album’s pacing, clearly placed with the vinyl experience in mind as the opening to Side B. Green Lung really put the emphasises on the folk in “folklore” here. Inspired by the 1892 ghost story ‘Pallinghurst Barrow’ by Grant Allen, primitive percussion and light drones form the backing to delicate acoustic guitar melodies. Multi-layered soft vocals harmonies blossom soulfully as the song progresses, the archaic synthesised flute sound, whilst cheesy, lends itself very well to the albums production themes and fits the song nicely. Scott Black’s emotive guitar solo is epic, losing itself in psychedelic energy, playing off the growing progression of the synth and accenting the emotion of the song as it slowly dissolves into further nods to prog pioneers Goblin.
Harking back to older Green Lung material ‘The Ancient Ways’, massive guitar melodies and powerful riffs permeate the track. The forceful chug of the verse pushing the song forward at a deliberate pace. A little guitar melody that rears its head multiple times across the track once again, bringing forth an unfathomably gigantic chorus. As the song continues it breaks into a full blown progressive epic of a bridge, mesmerising organ melodies continue as the additional percussion becomes syncopated and Joseph Ghast’s phenomenal bass work plays counterpoint to both. Its a strangely engaging moment that sits somewhere between Deep Purple and TOOL. Having the organ play that same little guitar hook as it launches straight into a sublime guitar solo is a genius little bit of subversive songwriting.
“The production team behind the album did an phenomenal job of curating a sound in line with the bands ambitions.”
‘Hunters In The Sky’ is said to be inspired by the fight for “right to roam” on Dartmoor whilst exploring the areas folklore makes for one hell of a heavy metal song. Kicking into fast paced stoner riffs, sounding like what would happen if you stuck Matt Pike into Judas Priest. The primal war drum percussion building tension towards the cathartic organ and guitar solo, tonnes of vocal melodies and otherwise impressive vocal performances on the track which channel Rob Halford’s legendary falsetto.
Final and longest track ‘Oceans of Time’ sends the album home in dramatic fashion. Continuing the tradition of a vampiric love song, established with ‘Graveyard Sun’ on Black Harvest, the title is taken from Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Indulging itself in a slow burn introduction, the synthesiser drones whilst simultaneously playing a bleak and chilling melody. Templar’s vocal performance in this passage is aching with longing, fitting the subject manor incredibly well. When the instrumental fully kicks in the band get close to full blown goth-rock territory, stomps guitar riffs and glassy neon synth tones accompany the extravagant vocal performances.
This Heathen Land is a remarkable success on all fronts for Green Lung. It’s easily their most polished and engaging work to date in spellbinding fashion. Celebrating and exploring not only the mystical occult history of Albion, but also of the classic sound of British hard-rock, occult rock and the early days of Heavy Metal. The sheer amount of catchy melodies, hooks, guitar and organ solo’s, as well as chorus’ is absurd in principle, but Green Lung have absolutely stuffed This Heathen Land to the brim with quality songwriting and infectious ear-worms that never overstay their welcome.