Kula Shaker’s eighth studio album, Wormslayer, finds the band very much back in their element. Crispian Mills’ vocals and guitar, Alonza Bevan’s bass, Paul Winterhart’s drums, and Jay Darlington’s Hammond return in the lineup that powered their breakthrough years – and with it comes that very same alchemy that set them apart from the Britpop pack, now honed into a record that’s brimming with a renewed sense of creative energy.
From the opening gallop of “Lucky Number,” which evokes The Who’s raw energy while swirling with Kula Shaker’s signature Indian seasoning, to the micro-fable of “Good Money,” drenched in ’60s psychedelia and playful, layered tropes that bring the band full circle with a cheeky nod to their early hit “Tattva,” Wormslayer thrives on the restless experimentation that first set them apart. Across the album, Kula Shaker wind through these contrasts with effortless ease: cosmic riffs collide with glam-tinged drive, pastoral folk sits alongside sci-fi psych-rock, and more delicate melodies brush up against bursts of full-throttle rock bravado.
There are also all kinds of cinematic and mythic moments across Wormslayer that remind you why Kula Shaker have always felt untouchable. “Charge of the Light Brigade” layers drum- and organ-heavy psychedelia over lyrics replete with spiritual vampires and Celtic folklore, while the psych-blues sci-fi sweep of “Broke as Folk” conjures a Blade Runner backdrop, Gothic guitar twangs, and a touch of Claudio Simonetti’s horror-tinged synth work, occasionally breaking into Doors-like mantras. Even the more mellow moments – like the acoustic shimmer of “Little Darling” or the Americana-tinged wistfulness of “Dust Beneath Our Feet” – show off the band’s knack for mixing moods and sounds: pastoral folk, Western-inspired motifs, and cinematic touches sitting naturally alongside their trademark cosmic psychedelia.
Kula Shaker lean fully into their mystical side on “Be Merciful” and the title track “Wormslayer.” “Be Merciful” takes a decades-old folk melody and spins it into swirling, raga-infused psychedelia, while “Wormslayer” smashes ’80s John Carpenter–style keyboards into thrashing psych guitars, topped with chant-driven refrains that also wink back at “Tattva.” “The Winged Boy” moves from understated rhythms into a galloping, sci-fi psych-rock sequence a la “Doctor Who” meets “Tomorrow’s World,” while “Day for Night” takes a more western-flavoured, jig-like turn. And “Shaunie” weaves shimmering, strummed melodies with sudden bursts of energetic guitar, a reminder of just how tight and focused the band can be.
Ultimately, Wormslayer confirms that Kula Shaker are anything but content to coast on past glories — unlike many of their Britpop-era peers still trading on old hits. The album channels the band’s enduring ambition, weaving myth, psychedelia and folk motifs into a record that feels reflective and adventurous, yet firmly rooted in their own eccentric universe. It’s a return to form, and a welcome reminder of the audacious inventiveness that made Kula Shaker such a statement thirty years ago: Wormslayer remains every bit as sui generis — and then some.
VERDICT:
Wormslayer releases on January 30, 2026.
