ALBUM REVIEW: Folklore, Myths And Legends Of The Brothers Keg – The Brothers Keg

Folklore, Myths And Legends Of The Brothers Keg is an album you need to listen to more than once. It would be a lie to say that this was because of any hugely important subtext, instead, it’s because so much of the first listen is spent headbanging along with the excellent riffage, that you’re likely to miss the tongue-in-cheek fantasy epic being told. Yes, THE BROTHERS KEG (a psychedelic trio from London) have created a fully fleshed out world to inhabit, complete with monologues, vast inhabitable wastelands and more guitar solos than any of that Tolkien nonsense.

Opener Moorsmen sets the tone perfectly. Vocalist and guitarist Tom Hobson shows great versatility, moving between doom-laden growls and a more melodic, clean vocal line, which becomes almost etheric on No Earthly Form. He impresses on guitar as well, slipping more high-quality solos into the first two songs than most bands fit onto an album. This isn’t a selfish performance though. Bassist Paul Rosser and drummer Tom Fyfe are also given plenty of space to shine. Rosser’s work gives the tracks a real pace when required and adds depth during the quieter moments. As the world of THE BROTHERS KEG develops, he creates the foundations, then builds the sound to something akin to armies pounding their way across it. Fyfe on the other hand brings a sludgy, hypnotic momentum to proceedings.

It feels so appropriate to have this re-released on vinyl, following a successful tape, CD and digital run back in September. THE BROTHERS KEG are referential. You’d be hard-pressed to find anything groundbreaking here but that isn’t the idea. The joy of this album is finding out how this trio will overlay their imagination onto the familiar components.

The album builds to the epic Brahman. A track that zigs when you expect to zag. Happy to let the track flow naturally, stretching out to 13 minutes, they pull back on the showy guitar work for something more monolithic. Hobson’s vocals dive down into the mix, giving it a chant-like feel, then at seven minutes we break out into a psych freak out of swirling guitar work. As it draws to its conclusion, the pace quickens, and the sheer musicianship of this trio takes over. It shows a real sense of musical intelligence, keeping the listener on board without ever sacrificing part of the overarching story.

It’s almost a shame then that they break up this momentum for another spoken-word interlude. These moments are great touches to build the world around the songs but, counterproductively, can pull the listener out of that world when they hit at the wrong time. That The Army Of The Thirsty Blade Approaches bleeds into Castle Keg makes it all the more distracting when a short sample would have sufficed.

Castle Keg is worth the wait though. Downtuned and doomy, it pulls together the heaviest moments of THE BROTHERS KEG, it’s the perfect end to the album. To heal the aching necks, the Epilogue provides a few moments of respite and builds excitement for whatever these guys have planned next.

Rating: 8/10

Folklore, Myths And Legends Of The Brothers Keg is set for release on July 30th via APF Records.

Like THE BROTHERS KEG on Facebook.