KAL-EL - Astral Voyager Vol.1

KAL-EL – Astral Voyager Vol.1
Release Date: 16th May 2025
Label: Majestic Mountain Records (EU) and Blues Funeral Recordings (North America)
Bandcamp
Genre: Stoner, Doom, Fuzz, Psychedleic.
FFO: Dozer, Truckfighters, Domkraft, Monster Magnet.
Review By: Mark Young

I think that their Bandcamp bio sums them up quite well. Prior to diving in with bands that have never appeared on your radar, you obviously have a look online, trying to find something that will start the review off. Generally, we go with ‘it’s the latest from…etc’ and I guess that it can be a bit samey. The following description captures what you can expect from them:

“Kal-El is the fuzzed-out stepchild of hard rock and heavy metal, often with hints of psychedelic and blues rock as well as doom metal.”

With a heady science fiction vibe running through it, Kal-El start off their trip to the cosmos with the epic and riff fuelled Astral Voyager that offsets the thick guitar sound with a vocal performance from the Captain that looks to actually sing, achieving what I describe as a sweet register that fits the music like a glove. It has a guitar tone that wraps itself around you and then follows up with a gorgeous set of riffs that bring each of those genres in, in a completely organic way. Same for how the lead break comes in, it’s built from a classic mould where it tells a story supported by a straight-ahead rhythm. Not complicated and it sounds great. I’ve got to go back to the Captain again for how the vocals are put together, especially in the later moments as it achieves an almost choir-like level of godliness. My worry is that this is just the first song, and is it going to peak here? And if it doesn’t, it does mean that I’m going to have find new ways of describing what good music sounds like. Well, it sounds like this in all honesty. B.T.D.S.C. is next up and goes in for that hard rock feel that doesn’t forget about bringing the fuzz. It has that necessary level of immediacy that is required to keep you invested, especially after they drop that opening smasher. It is a great indicator of how they can change their sound and approach to suit, going from that lighter end into a heavier tinged, 70s throwback with Void Cleaner. It keeps on with that theme of the great expanse, so even with its stomping edge it keeps that in plain sight but keeps that sing-along quality in place.

Cloud Walker has a build to it that comes straight from the classic prog of the 70s – epic arrangements and once again the Captain cutting right through with another quality performance. I know I mentioned both prog and the 70s but don’t dismiss it straight away. Imagine a cookbook, and you take the basic principles and then just add your own twist to it. That is what Cloud Walker does, it takes the idea and then whacks it into shape, bringing a devastating bottom end which in turn makes the lead break stand out so well. It’s these little touches that give each of the songs life and in turn makes the album brighter. I did say that if they stayed at that high bar all through, I would be in trouble.

I’m in trouble. Dillithium is next up and is probably the least of the songs here and yet is still maintaining a certain level of charm to it, I mean that it still has that groove to it but for me that faster end would have been best had it been deployed at the start. When compared to the overall album, it’s a minor thing and is immediately put to one side when final track Cosmic Sailor kicks in. It closes out the album in great fashion, bringing in the core facets of their sound, and wraps it up in a 6minute and 44 second masterwork. The way that they pull this together so that it echoes what they have done previously whilst avoiding any repeats is fabulous. And that closing riff is royal, once again reminding you that heavy or light, subtle or strong, they have riffs for days.

It narrowly misses out on top marks, purely for the fact that I found Dillithium a little bit samey, and I know that it’s not a massive issue, but I have to call it as I see it. It’s an incredibly strong album, one that is just chock-full of riffs and great ideas. If they are already on your radar, then you know what to expect. For first time listeners like me, you are in for a treat.