Kula Shaker - Wormslayer 
Release Date: 30th January 2026
I'm not sure of the origins of the title 'Wormslayer' but it does sound like something a bully kid would call themselves after cruelly torturing backyard minibeasts. No matter, I'm sure that's not what Kula Shaker were going for and it certainly doesn't fit the vibe of this new and, dare I say, excellent album. We get going with 'Lucky Number' which has some instantly recognisable Kula Shaker sounds in the intro before we settle into a brilliantly Doors-esque groove - heavy on the Manzarek, my good man. 'Good Money' is one of my favourite songs of 2026 so far with some spacey vibes evolving into the kind of loose groove that the band were so well know for with a nice little call back to one of their original hits in a guest appearance for the main lick from 'Tattva'.
Recent single 'Charge Of The Light Brigade' rattles along like the Kinks on a road trip down to Brighton to catch up with some swinging friends while 'Little Darling' a slower and more swaying number with a little mysticism swirling around it. The spooky vibes of 'Broke As Folk' will appeal to the Stranger Things crowd as sliding guitar notes intermingle with the organ work of the legendary Jay Darlington to a create a Halloween sound which emerges out of the shadows into something that would bring Jim Morrison back from the dead. On 'Be Merciful' Crispian Mills shows a vulnerable side that then strides forth from a cocoon into a glorious technicolour light and the kind of wig-out that will be transcendental live.
I've no idea who 'Shaunie' is but they must be special to have a five minute track full of licks, riffs and meaty slabs of organ written about and for them - it's a blast of nostalgia that I just love. The space and excitement build of 'The Winged Boy' is a delight to lose yourself in as the various strands of the band interweave and leapfrog each other until we are left in swathe of glorious tumult before the brief folky interlude of 'Day For Night' which is a modern lullaby for those kept awake by the nightmare of just living in 2026.
Album title track 'Wormslayer' is a seven minute beast that encapsulates everything that we love about Kula Shaker from the Indian influences and spaced out vibes to the full on rock-out and Haight Ashbury atmospherics, it's an absolute trip, a ride, an odyssey for the mind, body and soul. And yet, there is one more treat in store as we have 'Dust Beneath Our Feet' as a little after dinner chaser, a warm and fuzzy tipple that slips down easy as the acoustic groove and organs notes mix easily in your throat. This is a brilliantly escapist album and one that could soundtrack many a road trip or a trip from your beanbag, if you're so inclined.
More information: https://www.facebook.com/kulashaker
Live Dates:
11th February - Old Fruitmarket, Glasgow
12th February - O2 Ritz, Manchester
22nd February - Doornroosje, Nijmegen
25th February - Burgerhaus Stollwerck, Cologne
27th February - Ha Concerts, Gent
28th February - Gruenspan, Hamburg
2nd March - Heimathafen Neukolln, Berlin
3rd March - Technikum, Munich
4th-6th September - Kernowfornia Festival, Looe w/Reef + James Morrison + Starsailor + Haunt The Woods + more