Release
date: February 26th 2016. Label: RidingEasy Records. Format:
CD/DD/Vinyl
The
Occultation Of Light – Tracklisting
1.Initiation
05:39
2.Out
of Sight 04:00
3.Rising
Omen 05:22
4.Incendiary
Procession
5.The
Eye
6.In
Your Head (Parts I & II)
7.Dying
Light
8.Ride
The Sky (Bonus Track)
Band
Members:
John
Gamino - Keyboards & Vocals
Nolan
Girard - Guitar & Synthesizer
Jake
Sheley – Guitar
Ventura
Garcia – Drums
Andrew
O'Neil - Bass
Review:
Out
of this world psychedelic jams and heavier progressive interfaces
collide on The Occultation Of Light, the latest epic set of music by
Mondo Drag, the Oakland based band are well versed in an out there
version of psych/prog as they have proved when they released their
self titled debut in 2015 but The Occultation Of Light definitely
takes things to another level in terms of scope and delivery.
This
is music that has the ability to take you places such is the power it
has to take over your head and your thoughts if you let it, an let it
you will. The whole album is packed full of vivid soundscapes shaped
by classic music from the 60s and 70s but with its own vision of the
present and the future.
From
the initial notes on opening song Initiation, Mondo Drag take you on
their journey, this track is a creeping, mellow burner complete with
psychedelic organ flourishes built on a series of catchy psych riffs
and commanding vocals that get the album off to a flying start and
from then on the album just gets better. From the early highlights
like the heavy Sabbath-esque psych of Out Of Sight and the crawling,
sheer groove of Bad Omen (both of which feature brilliant use of the
Hammond organ) to the mammoth The Eye and In Your Head (Parts I&II)
to the closing void of Dying Light via Ride The Sky, The Occultation
Of Light is a total trip.
The
songs on The Occultation Of Light are extremely well crafted and are
bigger in sound and stature than those on the bands debut album, it
seems that Mondo Drag have amped everything up bigger when it comes
to this album. The use of synths and the Hammond organ plays a big
part in shaping the sound of the record and songs like the
aforementioned Rising Omen and Out Of Sight sound all the better for
it.
Defiantly
forward thinking music with an eye and ear on the past is probably
the best way to describe the music of Mondo Drag and on The
Occultation Of The Light, the band have made an album for the ages,
such is its scope and vision. The best thing to do is listen to this
album and let it transport you on a total trip, it is something you
will not regret.
Words
by Gavin Brown
Thanks
to Monica at SpeakEasy PR and Andy Turner at Palmer Turner Overdrive
for the promo. The Occultation Of Light will be available to buy on
CD/DD/Vinyl via RidingEasy Records and Mondo Drag's BandCamp Page
from February 26th 2016.
Links:
