BULL ELEPHANT, the band, is an anonymous collective. BULL ELEPHANT gives the sci-fi storytelling realm a go with their hot off the hard disk 7 song tome Bull Elephant. Mystery ensues ... who are these loxodontans (look it up) from trunk-schwingin London and why have they decided to list themselves simply as Anonymous? Progressive private  pachyderms ... the hell you say !

To quote their Facebook page, " Bull Elephant is the story of a slain African elephant that occultist Ahnenerbe SS attempted to bring back from the dead as a new form of battle asset. However, before re-animation could be completed it was intercepted by a mysterious witch-shaman, pursuing her own agenda and redirecting the undead creature's purpose. Think of the background concept as Raiders of the Lost Ark set to a progressive doom soundtrack where Judeo-Christian mythology is replaced by the even more sinister universe hinted at in the writings of H. P. Lovecraft .... with Nazi assault wolves." Yup. I dig it.

This aural parade blows my mind right from the self-titled track #1 Bull Elephant ... I reckon there are three distinctly different voices .. 2 doom (vocal fry) voices and a Mike Scheidt - Yob style siren voice. I count meself in the coven of sabra vocálbra-lists and this ability to sing in various voices shows talent and creative possibility. Just count the various voices that Mick Jagger summons and tell me I'm wrong. Schizo-genius.

"Communion" carries on with the double bass dirge and a vocal that haole goat-damit reminds me of the gone but not forgotten Wendy O Williams before tumbling into a U2 chorus ... jeeze and all this in 7 minutes. Listen and tell me I am hallucinating, my droogs. "Winterfist" track #6 rolls on and for me, drives us to the Globe that this just ain't no recording Willis, this is a story and a right interesting fable. Cool metal guitar accompaniment abounds.

Progressive as in PORCUPINE TREE-progressive humps the sonic treasure here and always reaches for the high-hanging fruit at the top o' the tree. Bull Elephant does not lean on any one musical style for very long ... metal, post metal, progressive rock, Doom, Death, speed metal, maybe a bit of dub step... its all on display and beautifully mixed. I, mere mortal music junkie that I am, stream Tidal for almost everything, but if you get the Bandcamp download it will include a gorgeous 9 panel digital .pdf of release artwork. If you kick down for the physical compact disk you get a 26 page artwork and lyrics book, a real printed hardcover book printed on FSC certified paper (touché) ... Neat-o ! Neat-o like having a vinyl LP from 1970 with gatefold art.

Kudos to Jaime Gomez Arellano (Paradise Lost, Cathedral, Ghost) of Orgone Studios, Bedfordshire, UK  who recorded, mixed and mastered Bull Elephant. I notice production and this is great music production. What is in the watta over in the UK? Why are the bands and the scene there so bloody fascinating? Mates?