Good Copse, Bad Copse

I have seen the future and it is ancient!

From the caves we emerge
Into the hard driving rain
Through the dales, round the fells
The coven gather again

My dear faithful friends and readers, we are gathered here tonight in this most sacred of groves to give due obeisance to the true forces and Wyrd motivations of this heathen Albion. To pledge our allegiances to those ancient forces that lurk and flicker, root and branch at the very edges of our modern perception. To celebrate the powers that were, are and yet may be again by dancing amongst the fires of renewal.

And yes, it is both completely necessary for me to be stark bollock naked, traditional even; well apart from my Crocs, obviously, I’m not mad.

---

Green Lung This Heathen Land is pretty damned close to being absolute perfection. Third time’s a charm* for these London-based doom/stoner/pagan rockers. If you’re looking for any objectivity here stop reading now, you’ve come to the wrong place.

This Heathen Land taps into Britain’s folkloric half-memories and the mysticism that disquieting, wild places accumulate over the millennia. Anyone who has ever stood alone overcome by an unaccountable feeling somewhere remote and impressive/oppressive knows exactly what I mean. Forget all that God and Satan nonsense, nobody really respects those nouveau arrivistes**, the old Gods rule here.

---

‘The Forest Church’ is a forceful assertion of setting and intent for This Heathen Land. It also highlights Green Lung’s secret weapon, their cunning pop smarts. No matter how heavy a rhythm and riff gets laid down, it is all overlaid with melodies lesser bands have to trade their heaviness for; Green Lung never do. Tom Templar’s voice soars and then we’re rocketing along in fine style, Scott Black’s guitar solo slicing through, before being chased away and almost outrun Jon Lord style by John Wright’s keys.

It’s magnificent, it’s pagantastic, it’s phantasmagorical and we’re only on the opener.

I would love ‘Mountain Throne’ even if it didn’t namecheck my beloved witchy Pendle Hill, but the fact it does makes it 400% better right then and there. The band playing their skyclad arses off as they relate various arcane doings on the summit. Templar’s lyrics, which are a real cut above throughout, are particularly excellent here.

Then This Heathen Land lurches into pure Hammer Horror to great effect with ‘Maxine (Witch Queen)’ which is every bit as poppy as a song about a hierophant of Hecate could and should be. Do I need to tell you I love it?

To switch from this into the heaviest track on the LP ‘One For Sorrow’ is great albumcraft. Guitarist Scott Black really excels himself on this one, virtually sketching the scene against Matt Wiseman and Joseph Ghast’s ever-so-slow rhythm. I confess to being very superstitious about magpie’s, so I may be the perfect target audience for this track.

---

The lightest track on This Heathen Land eases us into Side 2, ‘Song Of The Stones’. There is a pastoral lilt to this cut which is anchored to a slowly beating drum as the band sing of a meeting with the barrow king^. It is very M.R James, oh riff and I’ll come to you, my lad.

Then the mushrooms kick in properly and we’re off exploring ‘The Ancient Ways’. These ways appear to involve getting absolutely stocious on Psilocybin and studying minute details for hours on end, while the music goes all fuzzy; I couldn’t possibly comment on this. Another stonking guitar solo from Scott Black on this one too.

Then we’re left in dread of the Wild Hunt on ‘Hunters In The Sky’, Dartmoor never seemed less touristy as the guitars turn heavier and Maidenesque and the vocals a bit Queenly. I really love this one but that’s probably because I don’t live anywhere near a desolate lonely moor.

This Heathen Land closes with ‘Oceans Of Time’ the LP’s longest track. A slow-building epic, which rounds things off in a dignified manner, even finding time for a bit of woodland atmosphere at the end.

---

Well, This Heathen Land is the best new rock LP I’ve heard this year by a long straw, probably in longer than that. I saw them support Clutch last year and they were excellent, tickets have been booked to see them again, twice.

Green Lung pull off the mean feat of sounding utterly modern and classic without sounding like anyone else I can think of, occasional nods to Deep Purple being the closest reference; not many bands can do that. The fact they have managed to up their already considerable song writing and playing on This Heathen Land is really exciting.

Take this rural rocker boy’s advice and treat yourself to this LP, you deserve it, they deserve it and if you don’t I really will dance skyclad on your lawn.

---

There’s more too, the art and presentation This Heathen Land even manages to up the ante from their previous releases, thanks to the awesome Richard Wells.

My fancy pants limited edition green/white split vinyl, came in a gorgeous sleeve mocked up like a Penguin guidebook, complete with logo and woodcut featuring the wild hunt, a magpie and a passing hare. There is a map of occult Albion, complete with mock adverts on the rear and a wonderful 16 page booklet, full of lyrics, drawings, doodles and photographs.

The care taken by all and the deluxe no expense spared approach of Nuclear Blast Records has to be applauded here. This would be something I’d cherish even if Green Lung had forgotten to record any music to go with it. Almost.

1207 Down.

PS: Bloody love this, they’re clever boys:

*well third-and-a-half time if we count the excellent Free The Witch EP, which I do.

**although the latter chap gets a run out now and then. He doesn’t make the 1st XI, but he gets an occasional appearance from the subs bench.

^should the barrow king be reading this, I was unsure whether you required capitalisation – no offence meant B.K.