Opium Lord - Vore review and interview

Back in 2015, I witnessed an especially spirited show in Philadelphia. Primitive Man, Hivelords, and a band called Opium Lord from the Birmingham, England.

Opium Lord stole the night. Their guitars hit like a tidal wave of slime, accented by crunchy bass lines. They matched the dreary, nightmare passages with hardcore-style, aggressive vocals, similar to Napalm Death's Barney Greenway. Their vocalist even performed their last song without using his microphone, screaming every word at the top of his lungs. It was an incredibly intimate and intense concert experience. I made sure to grab their album The Calendrical Cycle on the way out. And then, that was the last I heard from Opium Lord.

Until now. Opium Lord have returned with a new album, Vore, as well as a new label in Sludgelord Records. Read the interview below for more on their nearly five-year hiatus in production hell.

As for the record, I'm pleased to report Vore mostly follows in a similar vein as their previous, albeit with an even more dreamlike quality. Opium Lord lay it thick with heavy distortion and shimmering guitar leads, crafting a hallucinatory sonic landscape. I often imagined visions of thick smokestacks fuming fog projected in black and white.

I think the song that really captures their essence on this one is "Lead Magnet." It's a slab of industrial, repetitive rhythms, and plays out like a conveyor belt in a factory. The guitars drop down a half-step to produce a off-kilter feeling, then resume in the familiar repetitive pattern.

This album also has its share of ethereal moments. Elements of the Blur and The Prodigy shine through in parts of this album.

Now that Opium Lord is back in business, I spoke with guitarists Nathan James Coyle and Adam Beckley, drummer Luke Goodenough and vocalist Luke Fewtrell over email.

HELL-O Opium Lord! Welcome back. It's been several years since your last release. What took so long?

Bruce: Yeah, it’s not being great to be honest. I think the root cause was the takeover of Candlelight (Records) by Universal. It seemed to cause all sorts of admin chaos, which led to a whole bunch of uncertainty and delays upon delays. 

The result of which was to grind this band to a halt, which, in my opinion is the exact opposite of what a record label should be doing.

We were turning down tours and stuff waiting for the record to come out & we started to consider whether it was worth continuing as a band. After two years of chasing, it was discovered that the label needed us to sign new contracts and at that point we jumped. 

Fortunately Aaron from Sludgelord was there to catch us before we imploded. Now we actually have a record coming that people can hear and we are stoked about it 

Despite the conflict and standstill, it didn't stop you from putting out another heavy record. What motivated you in the writing process of Vore?
Bruce: God, it’s been so long coming. I think we had started writing this record even before that US tour with Primitive Man. I think we just knew the things we liked from the first record and the dynamics that worked and we tried to develop those elements for the new record. As a result I think the Vore ends up sounding a lot more expansive and also more concise in equal measure. As to what motivated us at the time, none of us can really remember as it was so long ago and we all party too hard .  

Your music and lyrics have an enigmatic air about them. Are there any deeper concepts at work in the song lyrics of Vore you care to elaborate on? 

Nathan: Most of the Lyrics are inspired by English Soccer team Wolverhampton Wanderers. 

Bruce: This fact makes me sick . Fortunately the track that was most ‘Wolves ‘ was removed from the album. I told him it was due to it being too long for the vinyl. 

That’s the sort of power you get when you alone deal with the vinyl plant.

Nathan: As well as being mainly about the Wolves , there are many themes on this record: George Orwell , Socialism, Space Shuttle Explosions, Michael Dokes, Warhammer, chocolate, people having Sheeps faces - all your standard metal stuff. 

Bruce: The first track "WWCD" is dedicated to our old bass player Neil, this was very much the mantra he indoctrinated into us: "What would Crowbar Do?" We’ve tried to take this into consideration in any decision we make both artistically and financially. 

This album also features a guest spot from Yob's Mike Scheidt. Tell me a memory about your collaboration with Mike?

Nathan: Mike is just a lovely bloke. We played a show in Birmingham with Yob and Black Cobra, and he seemed to really enjoy us. He was born over here in the Black Country before emigrating to Oregon as a child, so he and I are kindred spirits. 

Bruce: He did such an amazing job with the recording, he sent us loads of different takes and let us Comp it. He really put the effort in, which was really flattering. 

Luke: He apparently sent our first Record to Scott Kelly and they were both digging on it. We love him for that. 

Bruce: Yeah that blew us away. He mentions us in the press as one of his favourite bands. It’s bananas really. I’m such a big Yob fan.

Birmingham has long produced great metal music with a gritty, blue collar workmanship. Are there any other bands from your area (or elsewhere) you would recommend listening to? 

Bruce: Yeah, it’s a good time for Birmingham and the Black Country. Stinky Wizzleteat and WMN immediately spring to mind. Also Tumanduumband and Voidlurker, they’ve got solid riff game.

Luke: Dead Hands are pretty bangin’ although I think they are on the verge of a hiatus. Sad times. They totally shred. 

What music have you been listening lately?

Adam: We’ve been really lucky recently in Birmingham, and there’s been a bunch of great bands coming through.

Some highlights for me have been The Body who were incredible at Supersonic festival the other week along with noise outfit Prison Religion. 

There’s also an amazing band called Guttersnipe, who also played that festival, and they are a real treat on record too . 

Bruce: I’ve been listening to the new Torche record a lot recently, I also recently discovered the last Dope Body record. That’s a real gem and I can’t believe it passed me by at the time.

What's one of your favorite moments on the new album, and why?

Nathan: We all really like the last track ‘Gift ‘

Bruce: Yeah that’s our favourite I reckon. The writing process for that one was real smooth. 

Adam: I like the end riff on "Columbia." It’s the most King Crimson we’ve ever sounded .

What else can fans expect in the future?

We’re touring the UK in October after the record is released, and then we’re going to try and get over the pond again. As I mentioned before, we had a plan in place for a second US tour, but this album has taken so long to release, we’re not sure if those avenues are still available to us. I guess we’ll find out. Fingers crossed.

Thank you to Opium Lord for going one on one with the Grim1! Listen to their newest album Vore via Sludgelord Records.