THE WARLOCKS : Skull Worship

The lords of darkness have risen from the dead. Back with a vengeance, they are brandishing their emblematic skull to take possession of our minds.

Following Heavy Deavy Skull Lover and The Mirror Explodes, Skull Worship closes the circle of an inward bound introspective trilogy. Bobby Hecksher’s vocals sound hauntingly spectral, miles away from the exuberance of Phoenix.  

The Warlocks have come a long way, yet have maintained a trademark sound while constantly shaping it up and polishing it. They are a one of a kind quintet that once was a collective and has grown through chaos and many changes. Hecksher the mastermind has carved out his epic way through a long trenchwar and has found four other warriors : JC Rees, Earl V. Miller, Christopher Di Pino and George Serrano.

Each member fits in the puzzle to make music that has a drastic effect on the listener’s mind, mood and soul. The word sound alchemist is no overstatement, these guys are aptly named, they are purveyors of sonic witchcraft, the kind that takes you to the left and right of the moon via hell.

Cavernous and more ethereal than ever in the genesis of the band, this new record carries the ghastly lament of lost souls. “Dead Generation” is their anthem, then “Chameleon” and “Endless Drops” slot together perfectly, getting to the core of obscurity with vibrant sinuous rhythms. Lush and incisive guitars howl.

“Silver and Plastic” stands out with its apparent mellowness, the unusual added cello conveys  infinite sadness, this lyrical sound of despair constitutes the climax of the record. The second half of Skull Worship is more aerial, yet filled with the same ominous magical spell.

“It’s A Hard Fall” is the final stage in the Warlocks’ restless wandering, just before “Eyes Jam”, in reverse, marks a passage to a new land or dimension.

May these hypnotists keep more skeletons in the closet, the kingdom of skulls is to be worshipped indeed.





Skull Worship was released on Zap Banana on November, 25th 2013.

THE WARLOCKS : The Mirror Explodes

"Destroy & Rebuild", such is the legendary Warlocks' motto, survivors of the decay of Heavy Deavy Skull Lover. Still racked by narcotic demons, our favorite Californians got rid of the skeletons in the closet but now reside in a house haunted by their own images.
With The Mirror Explodes, Bobby Hecksher & co plunge into a dreamlike voluptuous melancholy, inspired in the first place by a very sensual "Red Camera", a contemplative record, breaking with a cavernous previous album.

They redefine their wall of sound here, leaving out their noisiest effects to devote themselves to a shoegaze with hints of fuzz'n'drone, both syrupy and vampiric...
"Midnight Sun" and "Slowly Disappearing", reminiscent of the city of angels' blazing sun blow hot prior to blowing cold with "There Is A Formula To Your Despair".
Being less extreme, the atmosphere of the album leaves a strange feeling of restraint at first, repressed sensations bursting in lavish guitar layers, each play revealing a different glow.
The Warlocks concocted their most delectable elixir with staggering "Standing Between The Lovers Of Hell", the fiery and lasting imprint of a love curse where lies the very substance of the band: lust and frustration, fear and torture, chaos and fullness.
One stands between delicacy and neurosis with "You Make Me Wait", followed by a less inspired "Frequency Meltdown" and the disillusioned grace of "Static Eyes" has the last word.
If Heavy Deavy Skull Lover was to the Warlocks what White Light, White Heat is to The Velvets, then The Mirror Explodes can be regarded as the New-Yorkers' self-titled (without Nico).

Skillfully uncluttered, sensory and magnetic, less radical than Rise and Fall or incisive than Surgery, more accessible than Heavy Deavy and more refined than Phoenix, The Mirror Explodes possesses a unique identity in the band's career and thus appears as a turning point. The psychedelic sorcerers have at least a thousand and one sonic tricks up their book of magic spells...

The Mirror Explodes was released on Tee Pee Records on May, 19th.

Rank : Say Hello To The Angels