One Listen Review
1st Listen – 16 Nov 2023
Reviewed – 17 Nov 2023
Bull Elephant – The Long War
Eat Lead and Die Records
Released 17 Nov 23
Perhaps the choosing of the 3rd of a trilogy of albums is not the smartest of ideas when it is a 1 Listen Review that is happening. This is the task I have taken with The Long War, the 3rd album from UK-based progressive Death Doomsters, Bull Elephant.
Lasting 41 minutes, The Long War has 6 tracks that are carefully constructed, multi-layered, at times confusing and at other times stunningly effective. Lyrically, the album has a hint of crazy about it, after all the trilogy is about a reanimated elephant fighting in World War II. Amazingly, everything comes together for a joyous ride into the absurd!
Opening track, ‘Expansion from Perceived Reality’ is a great introduction to the album, classy 70’s doom riffs are supported by superb vocals, of a higher pitch as well as dirty grunts. It makes you believe that there may be 2 vocalists here, as each of the styles is superbly done and if it is just the 1 vocalist, I doff my metal cap! This is perhaps the place to mention that Bull Elephant are deemed an ‘anonymous band’, with no band members being listed in the band – check out The Metal Archives for proof!
The musicianship on display is also top-notch. Classy solo’s sit perfectly in the main riff of the tracks, especially in ‘Blackened Chaos Horizon’. Riffs vary from aggressive death doom,
to more the melancholic doom, sometimes within the same track.
When the drummer gets to showcase their skills, the effect on some of the songs is immediate, the album opener has a mad period of about 30 seconds with blast-beats being thrown about like confetti.
The pace of the album can be slightly confusing. With only 2 tracks falling under the 5 minute mark, the progressive nature of Bull Elephant allows them creative freedom with breakdowns and pace changes within many of the tracks themselves. The excellent epic album closer, ‘The Long War’, boasts an understated 2 minute opening before an ominous growl invades your ears and the song starts proper. Then, almost 6 minutes into the track, there is a metamorphosis into what seems like a completely different song. It is clever stuff, giving the band scope to explore ‘Imperial Japan’s infamous Unit 731’ (Google it) within the 13 minute closing song.
Finally, we need to mention the sheer quality of the production. Mastered by Dan Swano, you just know it is going to sound like the purest of nectars. When to couple in impeccable production with excellent musicianship, you can’t really go wrong.
As a stand-alone album, The Long War is a good listen that will return to your playlists. If, like me, you have not heard the other 2 albums in the trilogy, it prods you down that route as well. This is perhaps the true genius of Bull Elephant. They have created a great 3rd album that demands you listen to the previous 2 in order that you gain greater context of the subject matter.
Now this review is written, I know what I am doing today!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bullelephant
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bullelephantmetal/
Bandcamp: https://bullelephant.bandcamp.com/
The DevilsHorns 
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