ALBUM REVIEW: Crusaders of Joy – bigLOVE

BIGLOVE are a curious prospect. Supposedly anonymous – though this is ruined in the first sentence of their bio, announcing it is in fact Justine Jones and Sammy Urwin of EMPLOYED TO SERVE – the atmospheric sludge/doom project is themed around unconditional devotion and everything that is cherished in the world. Even without the biography in hand, it’s still clear who’s behind BIGLOVE; Jones’ hardcore bark is unmistakeable, no matter the amount of reverb it’s drenched in. Those themes are also seemingly at odds with the genre, with sonic peers like THOU often plumbing much murkier, more distressing depths of despair, death and societal collapse. 

But much of that is missing the point; BIGLOVE came together with a very deliberate aim, to create instinctively and without overthinking. Their debut album, Crusaders Of Joy, came together this way, with each part having final takes recorded mere moments after writing was completed. That again might seem at odds with atmospheric music, but it’s not the case with Crusaders Of Joy. Instead, there’s an immediacy and warmth that’s soaked into every pore of the music. 

Opener Harnessing The Nectar Of The Queen Bee begins with a spoken word sample before its bluesy, THOU-esque lead enters and the song takes shape. The glacial drumming and distorted bellows only accentuate this as the song sprawls over its nine minutes. Follow-up A Grand Declaration Of The Gods dials up the riffs even more, especially in its lumbering, stoner doom outro that bleeds into the atmospheric drone of At One With. The juxtaposition of calmer, swirling guitars and Jones’ bark is fascinating, especially here where on first glance it feels the two should be at odds. Instead, they’re complimentary, with the corrosive howls acting as a counterbalance that accentuates the warm tones. 

Closer Forever Intimate, while the shortest song, covers just as much ground as the three tracks that precede it, opening with a single lead with cascading drums before unfurling into an almost psychedelic stoner sludge piece. The guitar work, while often understated, is continually inventive as it spirals, twists and even turns bludgeoning heft into a warm blanket of fuzz. Urwin’s vocal performance is similarly impressive, his guttural growls sounding at once cavernous but similarly warming. 

That warmth is likely due in large part to not only the themes but the mastering job done by audio savant Lewis Johns, known for his ability to draw out hidden layers and depths to any music he works on. Here, the warmth is as beguiling as it is engulfing and accentuates the atmosphere of love and devotion that BIGLOVE are aiming for. By taking the atmosphere of sludge and stoner doom, combining it with these themes of unending devotion, Crusaders Of Joy becomes a philosophical, almost spiritual experience; rather than wallowing in the mire, it transcends its sonic barriers to make something that feels organic, richly textured and overall, loving. 

Rating: 8/10

Crusaders Of Joy is set for release on May 27th via Church Road Records.

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