Release
date: June 24th 2016. Label: Small Stone Records. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl
Our
Birth Is But A Sleep And A Forgetting – Tracklisting
1.Nada
Brahma 03:25
2.The
Beard of Macroprosopus
3.Across
the Luster of the Desert Into the Polychrome Hills
4.Starry
Wisdom
5.Pillars
in the Void
6.The
Black Iron Prison and the Palm Tree Garden
Band
Members:
Kevin
Halcott - Guitar
Tommy
Guerrero - Bass
Michael
Lutomski - Drums
Review:
It’s
Not Night: It’s Space (INNIS) turned a few heads with their spaced
out and Middle Eastern flavoured style of Psych/Doom/Stoner Metal. It
won the band acclaim for their inventive use of different sounds and
noises for one worldly experience.
Fast
forward almost three years and the band has returned with their new
album – Our Birth Is But A Sleep And A Forgetting. A very strange
title to match the music they’ve created here. Newly signed to
Small Stone Records, INNIS have toned down their Middle Eastern
sounds and replaced it with a more spaced out psychedelic sound.
There are still traces of Middle Eastern noises but the one thing
that drives this album is heavy psychedelic riffs that transcend the
normal genre Doom/Stoner Metal conventions.
Opening
track – Nada Brahma – is a short-paced (well three minutes is
short by INNIS standards) track where the band utilize moments of
Drone, Doom and Ambient noises with a haunting soundclip. The riffs
slowly start to appear before drifting away quietly in the
background.
Second
track – The Beard Of Macroprosopus – is a heavy Stoner/Space Rock
song that lasts around nine minutes with the band quickly creating
heavy riffs with distorted doom vibes. The song takes on different
identities as INNIS expertly prove what accomplished musicians they
actually are. Shades of OM, Black Sabbath, Kyuss and Earthless all
appear at times but INNIS manage to keep the mood exciting and fresh.
Perhaps my favourite track on the album.
Third
track – Across the Luster of the Desert Into the Polychrome Hills –
opens with a more laid back vibe with haunting ambient noises slowly
setting up the platform for the band to take on you on another spaced
out cosmic journey. Swirls of slow-paced guitars and drone based
drums start to become heavier and more focused as time passes by.
INNIS venture into doomier sounds towards the end of the song as the
listener becomes more comfortable with the different noises around
them.
Fourth
Track – Starry Wisdom – is the song that appears next and sees
INNIS change their sound ever slightly again with a rawer sound
compared to the previous songs. At times this song feels
under-produced at times but I feel that’s what the band was aiming
for. It’s more emotionally involving than the other songs as the
instrumental work feels quite solitary at times. The band does return
to their heavier sounds though it feels the band have used vintage
recording equipment to record this song. As the sound is distorted
through out. It has a vintage quality to it. The final moments sees
the band include perhaps some of the heaviest riffs on the album
especially with the drone/doom sounds.
The
final two tracks – Pillars In The Wind and Sixth track – The
Black Iron Prison and the Palm Tree Garden – sees the band return
to their Eastern Middle sounds and this is perhaps long-time fans
will find the most enjoyment. As they return to familiar sounds but
merged with their newer and heavier psychedelic sounds. Pillars In
The Wind is perhaps the strongest out of the final two tracks but
don’t write off the final track as INNIS still offer a few
surprises along the way.
The
album sounds incredible through-out. The production is first rate as
you feel emotionally connected to the music from the very start. Our
Birth Is But A Sleep And A Forgetting is simply an album that will
not only be considered as one of the years best instrumental rock
albums but perhaps one of the best albums of the year.
Words
by Steve Howe
Thanks
to Earsplit PR for the promo. Our Birth Is But A Sleep And A
Forgetting will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Small StoneRecords from June 24th 2016.
Links:
