Back in 2018, Norwegian trio Saint Karloff released their first album All Heed the Black God. It was an energetic and impactful intro, embracing the heavy blues grooves of early Sabbath and the dopesmokin’ psych fuzz of Electric Wizard. The debut sparked a flurry of activity, including a split with Devil’s Witches and a 40 minute song/album (Interstellar Voodoo). But in 2021 the band faced horrible tragedy when they lost founding bassist Ole Sletner to terminal cancer. Two years after his passing, Saint Karloff return with a new LP featuring Ole’s brother Eivind Sletner as a collaborator. Today Decibel Magazine presents an early listen to the entire Paleolithic War Crimes record, courtesy of Majestic Mountain Records. The album comes out Friday, June 2nd.
The album begins with a pounding stoner riff from first single “Psychedelic Man.” Drenched in cosmic reverb, vocalist/guitarist Mads Melvold howls from a portal linked to late ’60s Birmingham. Packed with good-times hooks, it’s a rock ‘n’ roll record for black denim heshers. Like the title suggests, “Among Stone Columns” feels like a gentle interlude surrounded by monolithic jams. “Bone Cave Escape” cuts back to the rousing energy of Adam Suleiman’s drums before some late-track flutes throw the listener a curveball. Later, the organ-fueled mania of “Nothing to Come” emerges as a standout song before the sprawling psych of “Supralux Voyer” closes the album.
“We are happy to announce that we have once again signed with the finest label —[Majestic Mountain Records]— for the release of our third album,” Saint Karloff shares. “Surely, Paleolithic War Crimes was created during strange and challenging times. The whole writing process started back in 2019 with Ole still onboard. Naturally Ole’s passing was and still is devastating. But after some time, the two of us found the motivation and desire to continue and finish what we had started.”
“In many ways the album reflects a band in transition exploring new paths,” the band continues. “But at the same time, it definitely has the proper heavy Karloff-vibe. We are also very pleased with having Ole’s brother Eivind Sletner on board both writing lyrics and designing the album arts. Jointhugger’s multi-instrumentalist Nico Munkvold will step in and handle the late Ole’s bass duties on live shows. We are very happy with the results, and can’t wait for people to hear it!”
Visit the Mountains of Loudness with Saint Karloff and press play below.