Of all the genre mash-ups you could possibly imagine for a new progmetal supergroup to get their teeth into, a nautical spaghetti western concept album would seem like a project destined to founder on the rocks and sink without trace. And yet the music created by guitarist Brent Hinds (Mastodon), drummer Danny Carey (Tool), bassist Peter Griffin (Zappa Plays Zappa) and filmmaker/guitarist Jimmy Heyward (among various others), based on an idea from vocalist David ‘The Doctor’ Dreyer, is extraordinary, original and ridiculously enjoyable.
Sounding a bit like a salty sea dog Carl McCoy fronting the Dawnrazor-era Nephilim, Dreyer’s menacing style, detailed approach to lore and freakish characters propel the album forward relentlessly, while Hinds and co. make with the Fistful Of Dollars-style metal; The Orca, Curse Of The Red Tide and The Fogger are all superb, but the standout must be atmospheric closer The Ballad Of The Deep Sea Diver, which goes for the absurdly wonderful, full galloping orchestral film score treatment.
Looking utterly bonkers on paper, Legend Of The Seagullmen shouldn’t work at all, yet it’s an early highlight of 2018.
