If you hadn’t already heard Pagan Rhythms by Las Vegas’ Spiritworld when they walked out on stage in the August heat at Bloodstock Open Air looking like they’d strolled out of a saloon bar rather than a festival dressing room, you should have soon realized you were about to witness the coolest band of 2022. It’s a theme that continues on DEATHWESTERN as well, as after you’ve soaked up the brilliant artwork, the opening intro, “Mojave Bloodlust,” throws you right into the soundtrack to every cowboy film you’ve ever seen. That being said, the world of singer and multi-instrumentalist Stu Folsom isn’t all about cowboy shootouts at high noon. Folsom’s vision is of an apocalyptic horror-western world, and he marries that terrifying scene with a soundtrack that teeters on the edge of hell itself...
