Release
date: May 20th
2016. Label: Self Released. Format: CD/DD
Shaman's
Path Of The Serpent – Tracklisting
1.Gravity
09:46
2.Levity
08:31
3.King
Soloman 05:18
4.Shape
Shifter 08:15
Band
Members:
Kyle
Stratton (Guitar and Vocals)
Jeff
Tedtaotao (Drums)
John
Chavarria (Bass)
Review:
Following
their 2014 self titled debut album, Atala return in stunning style
with Shaman's Path Of The Serpent and this album marks a markedly
different musical style from the band. While that debut album
(produced by Scott Reeder) had an understandably distinct Kyuss feel
to it with its brand of sweeping desert rock, this new album is more
sprawling and decisively heavier than its predecessor.
Shaman's
Path Of The Serpent is produced by Billy Anderson and his way of
getting such sonic density out of the bands he has worked with (and
that includes the likes of Neurosis, Sleep and Swans among many
others) definitely works with Atala on this record. Bearing that in
mind, it is the majestic and epic sound of Neurosis that appears to
be a heavy influence on Atala this time around both in terms of how
heavy and tribalistic the songs sound and just for the sheer depth of
sound that occurs although Atala certainly have their own musical
identity and it sounds absolutely crushing.
With
only four tracks on the album, albeit the fact that theses are
mammoth tracks, they certainly make themselves known in truly epic
style as all the songs on the album are epic in both vision and their
execution.
The
album opens with the phenomenal Gravity and this sets the tone for
this special album with its pummelling rhythms, emotive vocals and
the right amount of melody running through the song, listening to it
will put the listener in a trance with its hypnotising riffs and this
continues all through the album with the other songs on the album,
the colossal Levity, the bruising King Soloman and Shapeshifter, the
monolithic commencement of the album sound just as sprawling and
monstrous as its immense opening and despite the fact that the album
is only a little over half an hour long, it feels a lot longer due to
its epic stature and also means you will want to listen again
immediately after it ends.
This
is epic music that is achieved through some truly great musicianship
and those vocals from singer/guitarist Kyle Stratton complement the
music that is heavy, sprawling and emotionally powerful perfectly and
Shaman's Path Of The Serpent is another fine addition to the catalogue
of Atala's releases and it will be extremely interesting to see where
the bands sound goes after this, but until then everyone can bask in
the intensity and vastness of this collection of songs.
Words
by Gavin Brown
Thanks
to Clawhammer PR for the promo. Shaman's Path Of The Serpent will be
available to buy from May 20th 2016 on CD/DD.
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