Australian ‘flower doom’ psych rockers Turtle Skull return with Heavy As Hell – a slab of fuzz-drenched, retro psychedelia featuring the band’s signature vocal harmonies.
It’s a track that perfectly demonstrates the band’s palette, fusing introspective songwriting and psych-pop vocal hooks with a weighty wall of sound – a style not unlike a blend of Kikagaku Moyo, Ty Segal, and Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats.
“The lyrics are about the inner monologue and being your worst critic,” explains singer-guitarist Dean McLeod. “I wanted to have a song that attacked the doubt within myself as a part of the artistic process. We actually wrote the lyrics while getting ready for a show in Melbourne – frantically recording voice memos of melodies and phrases while driving. It was kind of ridiculous. But it also had that familiar feeling of ‘oh yep there it is’.”
Turtle Skull’s debut full length Monoliths (2020) left its mark on stoner, doom and psych rock scenes across the globe. The album debuted locally at #1 on the AIR 100% Independent Albums chart, and reached #4 on the Doom Charts, a highly-regarded monthly curation of the best international heavy releases, and garnered attention from local and international music media, including from NME, Everything Is Noise, It’s Psychedelic Baby Magazine, Music Feeds, Happy Mag, Life Without Andy, Pop Matters, Heavy Blog Is Heavy, Outlaws Of The Sun, and many more.
They’ve since sold out headline shows in Sydney and Melbourne, played festivals including The Gumball (NSW), Vivid (NSW) and Ninchfest (VIC), and supported leading international and local acts such as Frankie and the Witch Fingers (USA), Earthless (USA), and Stonefield.
After getting back on the road in 2023, Turtle Skull are gearing up to release their new full length album in the middle of the year. Before that, they’ll perform at Camp A Low Hum in Wellington, New Zealand, and return for a run of shows on Australia’s east coast.
Turtle Skull are back, and we can’t wait to see what 2024 brings for them.
Turtle Skull’s new single, Heavy As Hell, is out Friday 9 February on all platforms.
