What this Appalachian (Carolina/Tennessee) psychedelic/metal act does so well, can't be easily pinpointed. They write strong, epic, bewildering rock songs with a bluesy side, but their massive, dense sound aligns them closer to post-rock psychedelia. They are as comfortable writing acoustic mountain folk as they are performing deep, crunchy space-out jams. And that is damned cool. The 13-minute "In The Night" opens with an impressive Hawkwind-meets-SWANS astral dirge. It's a powerful introduction, and a perfect harbinger of what is to come on this 76-minute album that dares to send plumes of smoky drones and lysergic effects into the stratosphere. "Wolf On Anareta" is a feral, tranced-out beast, whereas "Ephraim In The Stars" is a memorable and melodic piece with strings. "The Leonids" is a haunting strings & guitar interlude, and the band amp it up for "Deep Green", which swarms with their powerful noise/drone psychedelia that's both imposing and alluring. "Devil's Flower In Mother Winter" is a woozy folk number with Megham Mulhearn's prominent violin. I could go on an on regarding this album, but suffice to say it's one of my favorites of this year. (Neurot Recordings)USXspace
USX's Nate Hall lists his 5 top places in Appalachia...great article and photos!
No comments:
Post a Comment