{"id":2426858,"date":"2026-05-21T18:46:53","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T18:46:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2426858"},"modified":"2026-05-21T18:46:53","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T18:46:53","slug":"sulfur-surfer-5-esoteric-influences-on-bladees-new-album","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/sulfur-surfer-5-esoteric-influences-on-bladees-new-album\/","title":{"rendered":"Sulfur Surfer: 5 esoteric influences on Bladee\u2019s new album"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\u201cEncompassed by cruel compassion he Embarks [sic] on his holy Hawaiiian mission\u2026\u201d reads one section of the press release for Drain Gang<\/a> figurehead Bladee<\/a>\u2019s eighth solo album <\/span>Sulfur Surfer<\/span><\/em>. I took an intake of breath. You see, Bladee\u2019s maximalist releases have always been steeped in rich internet lore, but this album seemed like a whole different beast. I was going to have my work cut out for me.<\/span><\/p>\n

Released as the follow-up to fan-favourite 2024 album <\/span>Cold Visions<\/span><\/em>, yet eschewing the catchiness of previous tracks like \u201cI Don\u2019t Like People feat. Yung Lean\u201d in favour of dense, lore-laden verses, <\/span>Sulfur Surfer<\/span><\/em>\u2019s<\/span> <\/span>sonic direction seems as obscure as its narrative. Entirely produced by fellow Drain Gang member Whitearmor, the project leans into the EDM side of Bladee\u2019s EDM-rap spectrum, with kaleidoscopic synths, apocalyptic bass pumps, and, occasionally, stuttering trap kicks forming much of the soundscaping.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Instead, world-building seems to be the main focus of this project, with <\/span>Silver Surfer<\/span><\/em> only featuring one guest appearance over its 46-minute runtime: English doom folk band Current93, perhaps the only group in the world that can rival the esoteric mysticism of Drain Gang. Suffice to say, this album is dense, with Bladee pastiching disparate references to <\/span>Lord of the Rings<\/span><\/em>, <\/span>Dragon Ball Z<\/span><\/em>, <\/span>Mary Poppins<\/span><\/em>, Christian mysticism and more into the postmodern artwork that is his singular musical universe; a world in which good and evil, nihilism and hope, and, ultimately, fantasy and reality intertwine.<\/span><\/p>\n

Below, we signpost five of the most esoteric references on Bladee\u2019s latest album, <\/span>Sulfur Surfer<\/span><\/em>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Johann K\u00f6nig (1586-1642), \u201cSt. George Defeating the Dragon\u201d (photo: Public Domain)<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Perhaps the biggest reference on the new project is the legend of Saint George and the Dragon. This was first referenced by Bladee in a<\/span> 2025 Pitchfork cover story<\/span><\/a> in which he hinted at an upcoming collaboration with producer Whitearmour, stating: \u201cI don\u2019t want to jinx it, but it\u2019s something with Saint George \u2013 I\u2019m trying to use Saint George to make some music […] he\u2019s the one killing the dragon.\u201d Soon after, Bladee released an EP titled <\/span>STE The Beautiful Martyr 1st Attempt<\/span><\/em>, but references to the Christian saint also abound throughout <\/span>Sulfur Surfer <\/span><\/em>\u2013 from Bladee literally branding himself Saint George in \u201cHighland Tyrant\u201d, to frequent allusions to slaying a \u201cblack dragon\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

On some level, this battle seems to represent the struggles with mental health and substance abuse, which formed a key focus on Bladee\u2019s previous album, <\/span>Cold Visions<\/span><\/em>: lyrics on \u201cVersailles Flow\u201d bemoan the dragon\u2019s \u201cvenom\u201d poisoning his mind and affirm \u201c<\/span>Ste the martyr, always happy in the night<\/span><\/em>\u201d. Indeed, even in the original George and the Dragon mythology, the dragon has been interpreted as an allegory for sin. But there also seems to be an external dimension here…<\/span><\/p>\n

Bladee\u2019s relationship with Christianity is one of the many enduring mysteries of his career. In a 2024 Substack post titled<\/span> \u201cIs Bladee Christian music?\u201d<\/span><\/a>, writer Alex Mazey argues that the increasing allusions to the Christian faith in Bladee\u2019s music don\u2019t represent dogmatic belief so much as \u201calign with a broader cultural movement towards spirituality and eschatological thinking.\u201d In basic terms, people are feeling shit about the state of things right now, and are resorting to religion for answers or, at the very least, validation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Through this line of thought, Bladee\u2019s invocation of George and the Dragon represents a wider search for righteousness in a world that feels increasingly corrupted \u2013 from stinking sulfur lakes to \u201cThe Dark Mirror\u201d, which, on some level, seems to represent society\u2019s obsession with social media and materialism. As Bladee announces in the album\u2019s title track opener: \u201c<\/span>Watch as I transcend torment again \/ after the ultimate trail of the night rides back towards the one that’s in light \/ Mirrors shattered, illusions illuminated \/ Ste in the name of David, amen<\/span><\/em>.\u201d It\u2019s a Christian mysticism divorced from its religious connotations, wielded much like his invocation of pop culture and high fantasy imagery.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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