| CD REVIEW Black Mountain |
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Band : Black Mountain The members of this Vancouver, BC based Canadian Retro Rock have no magical story about their creation. They noticed each other because they were hanging around at parties with similar t-shirts or shoes. Some of 'em (and that must be singer/ guitarist Stephen McBean, and Josh Wells plus Matt Camirand – I'm not sure what their instruments are) have been together for years in the locally loved Jerk With A Bomb, later as Pink Mountaintops. Around 2003 (female) singer/ additional percussionist Amber Webber was borrowed from another band and subsequently recruited for a tour, and keyboardist Jeremy Wells (at the time Well's downstairs roommate) was enlisted for his “solo synth-scape/ Space Rock. The quintet eventually made lo-fi recordings of a collection of their songs, and on the strength of those got signed to Jagjaguwar, whom released the band's self-titled debut in January 2005 (in both CD and 12-inch vinyl forms). According to the members, the band was actually born during the recordings of the album. Impressed with the album, Jagjaguwar allowed BM to release the Druganaut EP (containing two reworked songs off the album and two unreleased tracks) as soon as the next June. And all of the sudden BM became something bigger than the members' previous musical experiences had ever hoped for to be. Sophomore album In The Future arrived in January 2008, the double LP vinyl containing a near 17-minute bonus track. For the new album, the band spent sessions at Seattle's London Bridge Studios, but even more so at Hollywood's Sunset Sound (where people such as The Doors, Ringo Starr, the Rolling Stones, and many more used to spend time in a useful manner). Thanks to the aid of producers D. Sardy and Randall Dunn, the creation of the new album took a lot less long than the band's used to (only a total of 4 months, where normally the members would sift over details in making new songs)...and according to the members Wilderness Heart is their most Metal and most Folk album so far. Well now, for the music? The band cites a somewhat diverse bunch of musical influences, including New Order, King Crimson, Studio 54, Alex Chilton, Janis Joplin, Please Kill Me, Shirley Collins, Mickey Newbury, Denise Wilson, and more...and the sales-talk at amazon.com (never forget to name-drop) says: “The music copies no one, but hearkens flashes of Pavement, Neil Young, Songs:Ohia, Nico, Jethro Tull...” (from a review by one Denise Shepherd). Personally, I cannot help hearing some of the more Psychedelic sides of Led Zeppelin in the band's harder moments, as well as Hammers Of Misfortune (who have a similar penchant for '70s music with Progressive and Psychedelic Rock). On the other hand, there's moments when the guitars are played at such deep tonalities you'd swear having to do with a Stoner Rock act. Vocally both singers have their moments (even if McBean has the upper hand overall). Admittedly BM have some more acoustic moments. To get acquainted, not with just a couple of songs but the complete new album, all you need do is log onto myspace.com/blackmountain. And...maybe you should hold onto your socks now...there's a chance for us Europeans to see the band live, because the band is touring our continent as we speak. For Belgium and Holland the dates are October 5 and 6 (respectively at Brussels' Ancienne Belgique and Amsterdam's Paradiso), and there's a good chance you'll find both me and my editor-in-chief (who's tried to convince his bosses at the record label he works at into possibly signing the band) in the back rows. I haven't done any concerts anymore since a long time, but this is defiitely the kind of band which would be able to get me out of the house! With words like that, do you even wonder at my inclusion of Wilderness Heart into my year-lists? The Chief's bosses must be out of their minds somehow! 98/100 Tony. |