KING DUDE – Full Virgo Moon

King Dude has, along with fellow doomstress Chelsea Wolfe, taken the dark folk sound to new and dangerous places over the past few years. Albums such as 2012’s “Burning Daylight” and “Songs Of Flesh And Blood” from 2015 were ominous and bloodthirsty, even with the stripped-down folk, and the mystery surrounding the man have just made his music that much more attractive.

“Full Virgo Moon” is another strong injection of diabolical music that haunts as much as it entertains, with more than a hint of Charles Manson-esque creepiness. With just the man and his guitar on display, there is a very personal one-on-one discussion with the listener, a chat with the devil that somehow makes one feel as though they are in the same room. And it is with this intimacy where the ‘Dude really shines.

“Forty Fives Six Six Six” is my personal favourite here, a carnival of twisted deformity that is filled with hooks, eerie melodies, and some very naughty pokes in the chest at both sides of the religious spectrum. “A Funeral Song For Atheists” and “The Satanic Temple” are equally tasty with their subtle attacks on the senses, and “My Rose By The Sea (Satyr Boy)” and “Make Me Blind” are just straight-up enjoyable with their Anton LaVey-meets-Johnny-Cash-for-a-drink-with-Nick-Cave bursts of almost poppy devil-folk vibes. The whole record is exuberant and downright evil, but you can whistle to it.

I think King Dude has pushed himself to make the quintessential King Dude album here, as the songs are succinct, meticulously thought out, beautifully produced, and equally welcome to the ears. If you’re looking for a 2020 record that sounds like Nick Drake filtered through the filthy dungeons of Aleister Crowley’s mind, look no further than “Full Virgo Moon” – it’s a Satanic hug for the masses.

 

 

https://kingdude.bandcamp.com/album/full-virgo-moon