Nevada’s most notorious gunslingers SpiritWorld are back with vengeance!
The western, whiskey-drinking metallic hardcore outlaws are back once again with their third release “Helldorado”
Frontman & mastermind Stu Folsom has gathered his pack of riff-slingers to create one of the most diverse & most brutal albums the band have recorded to date.
“Abilene Grime” the album’s opening track is the perfect way to open the album, With a heavy organ sound setting the vibes early the band give what Dwid from Integrity’s Country album would sound like. The track gets darker & darker with its heavy country tang before the Slayer-style riffs with huge right hooks kick in. The switch-up & balls swinging style riff gives this opening track a grand feel & is the perfect way to draw the listener into SpiritWorlds next chapter.
With its “what if Jeff Hennaman was in Obituary” feel, “No Vacancy In Heaven” is the sure track of the summer. This one is hot to the touch. With a huge sing-along chorus and mammoth bridge section, this track is somewhere between a spin kick anthem and Harley Davidson’s ripping metal. Folsom has a true knack for blending my favourite styles of metal and hardcore to create something feral and manic. I’m already into track two, and he’s outdone himself.
Giving us our first taste of the band’s ability to craft tracks that dip into all genres “Bird Song of Death” is a true country, folk punk-inspired anthemic track that took me by total surprise but somehow it feels totally at home within the SpiritWorld universe. The layering of instruments on this track is huge. And that shows with the band of musicians Folsom gathered to record the album.
He taking Stu Folsom’s electric guitar, acoustic guitar, backups, sampling, synths, and percussion. With the help of Preston Harper on drums, Nick Brundy & Matt Schrum on even MORE backing vocals. Randy Moore on lead guitar, RJ Demarco on saxophone, acoustic guitar & finally Jerico Horca on organ & keyboard. It does take a true band of brothers to create such a lush & punishing album.
Bringing us back to a thrashing thrill ride “Waiting on the Reaper” is a track that sounds like a corral of wild horses kicking up a dust storm. This stomper of a track feels like the most pissed Folsom has been with his venomous vocal take & the tight-as-hell chugging patterns he’s been able to create with this mammoth of a track. If they play this track like it’s gonna be chaos I tell you that.
Invoking the death metal gods “Oblivion” is my stand-out track on the album. It has that great metallic sound the band has crafted but it feels the band are pushing just distortion & heaviest one notch more. The production on this album is the band the band has had so far thanks to being engineered and mixed by Sam Pura & mastered by Alberto de Icaza. With a guest feature from Black Braids Sgah’gahsowáh, this track is pure brutality.
“Helldorado” is truly a huge feat for SpiritWorld. Over the last few releases, they have been expanding their ever-growing sound. Taking influence from the greatest corners of the metal genre but also adding elements that refresh what could be called a stagnate sound with country & folk sounds.
This album is their most expansive & hardest work today. If hammering sheet metal in the blistering sun in the open range is your thing, well dam “Helldorado” might just be for you
Review: Joseph Mitchell
Helldorado is out via Century Media on the 21st of March 2025
Pre-order Helldorado, here: https://spiritworld.lnk.to/
Visit the band’s official merch store with exclusive vinyl and Helldorado merch, here: https://spiritworldprophet.
TRACKLIST
1. Abilene Grime
2. No Vacancy In Heaven
3. Western Stars & The Apocalypse
4. Bird Song of Death
5. Prayer Lips
6. Waiting on the Reaper
7. Oblivion
8. Cleansing
9. Stigmata Scars
10. ANNIHILISM
Helldorado lineup:
Stu Folsom – vocals, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, back ups, MIDI drums, sampling, synths, percussion
Preston Harper – drums
Nick Brundy – backing vocals
Matt Schrum – backing vocals
Randy Moore – lead guitar
RJ Demarco – saxophone, acoustic guitar
Jerico Horca – organ, keyboard
Sam Pura – bass, backing vocals
Theresa Brown – backing vocals
Sgah’gahsowáh – vocals on “Oblivion”
Zach Blair – electric guitar solo on “Oblivion”
Frederic Leclercq – electric guitar solo on “Stigmata Scars”
Helldorado credits:
All music and lyrics written by Stu Folsom
Engineered and mixed by Sam Pura
Mastered by Alberto de Icaza
Additional engineering by Stu Folsom and Theresa Brown
Cover art by James Bousema
Layout and design by Stu Folsom
Band photo by Jasmine Garcia
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