BIG FAT LUKUM ~ NELSON MANDALA .... review

Belgium's Big Fat Lukum, Roye (drums), Dos (bass & vocals) and Greg (guitar & vocals), make a bold (but true) statement in the blurb section of their Bandcamp page stating "Listen to our music, our history doesn't matter much." and so with that in mind let's just get down to the basics concerning their new album "Nelson Mandala"

"Nelson Mandala" is a BIG album, not in terms of it's length or depth of its songs lyrical content but in its sonic impact, everything on "Nelson Mandala" sounds as if it was recorded with dials set to eleven and that includes the vocals. This full on approach to recording can sometimes backfire and the listener is left with a muddy sounding album with very little clarity but Big Fat Lukum have managed to avoid this trap thanks to a production that allows each instrument the space to breathe without compromising the bands overall sound and attack. Big Fat Lukum describe themselves as a sludge/stoner/heavy psych hybrid and never has a description sat so well on a bands collective shoulders, the trio utilising elements of stoner's raucous, choppy fuzz, sludge's rawer, heavier groove and heavy psych's instrumental freedom to inform their grooves and then overlaying them with a mixture of  gritty raw and throaty clean vocal tones. There is also a refreshing tongue in cheek sense of humour running through the six songs that make up "Nelson Mandala" a sense reflected in song titles like "Small Light Kebab", "Urban Paraplegic" and "Candy Crushes Your Mother", pulverisingly powerful tomes of stonerized sludge delivered with strength and intensity but also a mischievous twinkle in the eye and a knowing lop sided grin.

So in keeping with the bands wishes, lets not dwell on where they have come from or even where they may be going lets just live in the moment and enjoy "Nelson Mandala" for what it is, a damn good album from a damn good band
Check it out ....

© 2017 Frazer Jones