Thursday, November 12, 2009

Harvestman - "In A Dark Tongue" CD


Having heard a number of avante-metal band Neurosis' releases and side projects, I thought I'd had these guys pegged. Then I get this new release from (Neurosis frontman) Steve Von Till, and my preconceptions are blown. And in a wickedly good way. It turns out that this is Von Till's second release as Harvestman, and "In A Dark Tongue" is a trippy, oozing miasma of dark, psychedelic space rock with a healthy dose of krautrock dipped onto the blotter. But before you think I'm describing some kind of retro prog-rock silliness, let it be known that Harvestman's wide-open psilocybin-scapes are positively mind-altering on their own. The lengthy drones and overloaded effects on the 13-minute "By Wind And Sun" become a mantra of epic proportions, enveloping listeners in gauzy noise and guitars like a lava lamp set to "destroy". "Music Of The Dark Torrent" is a stark, layered guitar piece that encircles itself peacefully until a series of disorienting digital tones take over the mix. Weird and otherworldly. "The Hawk Of Achill" brings in Al Cisneros of Sleep/Om fame for a trance-inducing percussive assault that reminds of Amon Duul II-meets-Neu!-gone-evil. Amazing. The journey ends with the ambient electronics of "Centre Of The World", tempering the fires that burned so intensely on this wondrous and truly hallucinogenic rock album. (Neurot Recordings)

Harvestmanspace

Steve Von Till's site

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