As the years go on, it feels like the various realms of instrumental metal and rock are becoming more and more fleshed out as more people begin to realize the vast amounts of opportunity that’s to be had within such realms should people simply lean into what can be brought to the table with such a concept. Anything is up for grabs when it’s involved, and that certainly includes an unyielding heaviness and atmosphere the likes of which we’d be hard-pressed to find elsewhere. When it came to their debut album, Lord Elephant definitely saw such an opportunity for greatness come before their very eyes with the ensuing material nothing short of salivating.

First lizards with The Re-Stoned and now an elephant, my luck with instrumental excellence is starting to revolve that of animalistic representation, and so long as the luck and quality hold up like with what Lord Elephant has brought forth here, I’m more than ready to see the very entirety of the animal kingdom come before my eyes! In these eight tracks, I truly did not know what to expect given that this is but the very first piece of material from this Italian trio but it’s in every way that these guys really took to the challenge, leaned fully into their passion without a shred of doubt what would be the resulting music, and brought forth atmospheres and riffs with such power and confidence that the very whole of “Cosmic Awakening” feels like we’re peering into the very mind of the band members as they realize what worlds they can craft with just their instruments. Quickly, with virtually no effort, the listener comes to realize that this is a deeply layered experience that has so much more to offer than some crunchy rhythms or slightly enhanced reverb made to seem like a subpar atmosphere. Rather, Lord Elephant crafts a sophisticated yet satisfyingly primal listen that excels in all of ther right areas that’s needed in order to bring a fabulous creation of instrumental doom and stoner metal to life with such exquisite detail and competency that such a performance simply cannot go unheralded. For all that was brought forth in “Cosmic Awakening”, Lord Elephant should be immensely proud of themselves.

Whenever a debut of this kind comes around, it’s all but mandatory that many of us stop what we’re doing and truly take in, fully, what we have before us. Without any sort of lead-up, promises, or guarantees to be had beforehand, it’s without breaking a sweat that Lord Elephant has made an entrance the likes of which simply cannot be denied for all that it is. What could’ve been a mere first step out of the darkness, “Cosmic Awakening” sees Lord Elephant triumphantly taking charge with their first offensive of instrumental heaviness the likes of which won’t soon be forgotten!

“Cosmic Awakening” releases on July 8th via Heavy Psych Sounds!

LISTEN to an advanced track from “Cosmic Awakening” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Lord Elephant on Facebook here.