Morag Tong – Last Knell of Om

Band: Morag Tong
Title: Last Knell of Om
Label: Self Released (Independent)
Release Date: 18 May 2018
Country: London, UK
Format Reviewed: Bone Coloured Vinyl

When bands like Neurosis, Sleep and even Pink Floyd (High Praise Indeed…) come to mind? One starts to get excited when a band like Morag Tong posses elements from them all. 2016 saw the band release “Through Clouded Time” a splendid little EP full of sludgy, doomy delights throughout. But with its release of “Last Knell of Om” we see a band thats found impressive power, a spectrum of emotion and of course those monstrous riffs…And not a spoken word has been uttered until nearly forty-seconds into the second track!

What truly has caught this reviewers attention, however, is that the “Last Knell of Om” doesn’t follow any structured set of rules; its blueprint really ebbs and flows through a unique psychedelic landscape with its own brand of modern doom and groove. Morag Tong taking the listener on a slow trippy sonic ride to wherever or nowhere it wants to go? Its dense, intellectual at times atmospheric and a uniquely powerful brand of psyche doom needing to be discovered by more than just the purveyors of the genre. This is a band ready to take you on a long emotional journey and this is only the beginning for Morag Tong!

Transmission the attention grabbing album opener is a full on instrumental slow burn to the end.  New Growth significantly heavier with clean lines and vocals that keeps building and building with its sludgy bass tones throughout, keeping the listener mesmerized for its duration. This will be a continuing theme from beginning to end on the “Last Knell of Om”. With We Answer the track continues the slow burn and build blueprint but with even heavier psychedelic guitar accents with such an atmospheric airiness to it, this is a great piece of music. To Soil is pummeling to the core with its killer rhythm sections all while Ruminations continues on another agonizing and mind-altering trip! Ephemera/Stare Through The Deep the albums near thirteen minute closer finds Space Cadet colliding with Planet Caravan on a journey of atmospheric and expansive sounds with a slow descent to the end of the “Last Knell of Om”!

This album is so reminiscent with all of its connective tissue to the likes of Pink Floyd and even Hawkwind with its penchant to breathe, build and deliver colossal riffs combined with such an emotional experience…Simply loaded with that murky, spacey sound!

A psychedelic doom trip loaded with groove, weight, and space…Highly recommended for fans of Electric Wizard, Earth, Sleep and Neurosis! With this Morag Tong’s first full-length album as mentioned already, we are just hearing is the beginning of what hopefully to come from this quite impressive band…8.5/10 Mö 

Full Track Listing:
1. Transmission
2. New Growth
3. We Answer
4. To Soil
5. Ruminations
6. Ephemera/Stare Through The Deep

Band Members:
Adam Asquith – Drums/Vocals
Alex Clarke – Guitar
Lewis Crane – Guitar
James Atha – Base

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8.5/10 To Greatness and Glory
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