ALBUM REVIEW: Blood Lightning – Purple Kong

October 9, 2023 Tom Lewis

The UK has experienced something of a doom, stoner and sludge revolution in recent years. Bands like CONAN, BOSS KELOID, ELEPHANT TREE and SERGEANT THUNDERHOOF have all released increasingly fresh and expansive records, pushing the envelope of a long-established genre while leaving some of their retro-focused peers struggling in their wake.

Enter, then, other-worldly three-piece PURPLE KONG, lumbering forth from the jungles of Skull Island (London) to lay down their debut slab of concussively heavy stoner rock. After releasing acclaimed EPs in 2016 and 2018, battling through the COVID lockdowns and undergoing a change of personnel, it’d be understandable to see the band finding their feet again with this first full-length record. Instead, with the help of Wayne Adams (GREEN LUNG, PETBRICK) at the controls, PURPLE KONG have knocked out ten tracks of dirty, down-tuned, blues-infused metal that swagger with the kind of confidence you only get from a giant monkey that’s here to steal your life partner.

Opening track Village On Fire, all howling guitars, fuzzy bass and slacker vocals, sets the tone, sounding like a heavier FU MANCHU circa their 1996 masterpiece In Search Of…. A dark, descending riff and thunderous toms give way to the kind of groove that gets the head nodding and the mouth turning down at the corners. There is space here too, though, each instrument given room to breathe and do its own thing before coalescing again into a monstrous whole.

The album really hits its stride on Obolus, a track that opens with a killer riff and spoken word passage from frontman Dr Tompson, welcoming us to “the fifth circle”, before bassist Allan ‘Enos’ and drummer Sylvy Styx lock into an almighty groove on the verses. This is probably one of the more obviously SABBATH-inspired moments on the album but it absolutely powers along and at least it doesn’t sound like Changes for goodness’ sake.

First single Cocaine Pentagram (that title though) continues in a similar vein, adding an almost sing-along chorus to proceedings, while the title track lurches off into a classic slice of swinging, driving doom, gaining extra points for having the band’s name in the chorus (“Your desert’s so dry / Purple Kong so high”).

Mount Kong is a full psychedelic wig-out that’s all the more enjoyable for it. This sounds like a band having fun (remember that?), lyrically embracing classic stoner tropes of terrible trips and high-as-a-kite paranoia, but with a knowing nod and wink to the listener (“I’m a prisoner of Mount Kong / And it ain’t no fun”) which elevates the song above standard stoner fare and again adds a desert rock cool that many bands try but fail to hit.

Hellbringer adds a more classic metal feel towards the end of the record, reaching back to the NWOBHM era for its main crunching riff before opening out again into a spacious chorus and impressive blues-tinged solo. These solos are dotted throughout the record and also provide a chance to admire the groove that the rhythm section so consistently creates.

There are, of course, some SABBATHy moments here and there and spacey synth squelches reminiscent of early MONSTER MAGNET or even HAWKWIND at their heaviest. Despite wearing their influences on their big, hairy sleeves, though, there is nothing too derivative here for fans of top-notch stoner rock. Blood Lightning is an organic sounding record that will no doubt translate brilliantly to a live setting when it’s taken out on tour. An impressive stomping beast of a debut and one that should see PURPLE KONG cement their place as real contenders in an exciting and ever-expanding UK scene.

Rating: 8/10