There are cult bands in the sense that their fans are fiercely loyal, and then there are those that make you want to join a cult. Bonnacons Of Doom are both these things and more.
On the Liverpool group’s third album, Hexafoil, vocalist Kate Smith implores listeners to “Follow me! / Follow me!”, over hypnotic textures and ribcage-endangering riffs. At this point, it becomes highly tempting to don a cloak, strap one of the band’s signature circular masks to your face and leave your old life behind. Such is the consuming power of their sound: an alchemic fusion of folk, drone metal, kosmische musik, and potent psych.
Far from leading anybody astray, Bonnacons Of Doom wish to safeguard their flock. The album’s title stems from the group’s ongoing fascination with folklore. Dating at least as far back as The Bronze Age, the hexafoil is a six-lobed “flower” pattern, widely classified as a type of apotropaic mark or protection symbol. These carvings were etched into building surfaces to ward off evil spirits, bad luck or witchcraft. The endless, looping lines of the geometric pattern were thought to confuse and trap malevolent forces in an infinite maze.
For Hexafoil’s cover, the band created a huge sculpture of their trademark mask out of items foraged from the forest. This contrasts with the same symbol’s digital representation on the front of the previous album, 2023’s Signs.
“The mirrored masks were always meant to produce a sense of community/communion with the audience, in that they are reflected back from the performance,” says guitarist Rob Strachan. “But I suppose for us it has become a powerful symbol of the band, and a kind of ritualistic practice when we play.” To mark the latest chapter in their musical development, “it made sense to build something physical and connected to the landscape and seasons.”
AA
