Bonnacons Of Doom - Hexafoil Bonnacons Of Doom

There are cult bands in the sense that their fans are fiercely loyal, and then there are those that make you want to join a cult. Bonnacons Of Doom are both these things and more.

On the Liverpool group’s third album, Hexafoil, vocalist Kate Smith implores listeners to “Follow me! / Follow me!”, over hypnotic textures and ribcage-endangering riffs. At this point, it becomes highly tempting to don a cloak, strap one of the band’s signature circular masks to your face and leave your old life behind. Such is the consuming power of their sound: an alchemic fusion of folk, drone metal, kosmische musik, and potent psych.

In writing Hexafoil and honing its songs on the road, Bonnacons Of Doom leant further into their folk interests and ended up with some of their heaviest material to date.

Across the eight tracks, expansive epics are balanced against punchier numbers, making for a varied yet seamless experience. The intricately hefty opener, Tract, will appeal to fans of occult rockers Green Lung. At twice the length, the next song (Forewarning) is half mantric drone metal in the vein of SUNN O))) and half haunting pastoral. Ruins And Ash lurches like a desert rock troupe reaching for a higher plane of consciousness. Hexafoil’s longest cut, Legacy, is less Black Sabbath than Deep Purple at their slowest and crunchiest. On the propulsive final track, when Smith repeats the word “Levitate”, listeners might want to brace themselves for some sort of Rapture.

There’s never been a better time to join the cult of Bonnacons Of Doom.