There is a more abstract arrangement to the more swirling ambiance of "Snow and Ice" that might bring to mind the darker moments of Queens of the Stone Age or the lighter moments of Acid Bath. This song is more of a free-form jam out than the first two tracks. It does build into a harder grunge climax by the end. "Forest" is a trippy power ballad. At four and a half minutes, it's much more economical in its arrangement. There is more of a blues swagger to "Sea". This brings them back to Josh Homme's sonic zip code.
While it had to be advised that picking up acoustic guitars on "Desert" would only bring further comparison to 90s grunge, they followed their artistic vision, and the result was as predicted. However, I like all the bands that they draw comparisons to, so that plays to their favor. My only issue with this song is how the drums feel further back in the mix. A bigger drum sound could have given more of a back bone, instead it wanders a bit, until the dynamics build up from the drone. They shift into a more Screaming Trees-like mood on "Awakening". The guitars carry a more hypnotic simmer. It does build up into a hard-rocking climax as they seem to be prone to doing on this album. I will give this album a 9 and see how it grows on me. Sadly, their guitarist, Mike Morris, passed away after the recording of this album was complete, leaving this as a bittersweet celebration of sound. They have vowed to press on in his honor, and if you are a fan of the earlier, more experimental days of grunge before it took over the radio, then you will be a fan of these guys as well. Drops September 1st on Blues Funeral Recordings
Thanks for reading, give a listen to the song below and please "like" and share on social media to give music a voice
https://www.facebook.com/abysmalhymns
Check out our Podcast here ... https://www.youtube.com/@abysmalhymns666
No comments:
Post a Comment