Release
date: July 1st
2016. Label: Self Released. Format: DD
Harmonic
Ruptures – Tracklisting
Summoner
The
Obol
Magnetic
North
Lapse
Dimensionaut
Wrought
Outlier
Past
The Mantle
Band
Members:
Bryan
Higgins- Guitar
Gavin
Grealy- Guitar, Vocals
Steve
Loughney - Bass
Kenn
Sweeney - Drums
Review:
Harvester
return after a four year absence with their new album – Harmonic
Ruptures. Their debut album – Blind Summit Recordings – showed a
band influenced by the mighty Black Sabbath but also influenced by
bands such as Mastodon, Torche and Thin Lizzy. The album showed that
these guys meant business with their anthemic sludge/stoner driven
riffs. Since then the band have supported Mastodon (by Bill
Kelliher's personal request) multiple times now. So if it’s good
enough for Mastodon then it should be good enough for you to check
out their excellent new album – Harmonic Ruptures.
What
you get is 38 minutes of heavy Sludge/Stoner Metal vibes that offer
an exciting alternative to their debut album. Opening track Summoner
sees Harvester return with a more psychedelic and fuzz based sound
that allows the band to create a heavier style of music compared to
their debut album. The vocals have a raw intensity which feel they
were recorded LIVE and in one take. That’s a good thing as they
feel very natural to some of the more mainstream releases I’ve
heard recently.
Second
track – The Obol – has a more psychedelic vibe to the opening
track as Harvester open with heavier vocals and spaced out
progressive sludge riffs. The Thin Lizzy dual style guitars is always
a welcome bonus as Harvester expand their sound with shades of
classic rock and heavy metal vibes starting to appear.
Third
track – Magnetic North – is perhaps the albums standout track as
the band combine fast-paced Sludge/Stoner Riffs with superb vocals to
match. The song changes different directions throughout with
Harvester playing a wide range of different genres. The rest of the
album follows the same path as Harvester blend Progressive
Sludge/Stoner psych based riffs with a loving and knowing affection
towards bands from the classic era of Hard Rock/Heavy Metal.
The
following two tracks – Lapse and Dimensionaut – are very
different to each other with Lapse following the same path as the
opening three tracks with a more distorted driven sound. Dimesionaut
is a seventy second instrumental ambient based song with an acoustic
almost folk based guitar holding everything together. It’s quite a
stark contrast to the other songs on the album.
Though
it’s back to normal business for the final three songs on the album
– Wrought, Outlier and Past The Mantle. This is where Harvester
create some of the albums heaviest moments especially on Wrought
which is influenced primarily by early-era Mastodon and Baroness. The
final song – Past The Mantle – shows the full wide range of
Harvester’s musical talents. As they blend post-rock/post-metal
atmospherics with heavy sludge/stoner metal rhythms with a slight
twinge of space rock theatrics. Another standout track on the album.
Play this song nice and loud. It may start off very quietly but give
it time as Harvester unleash a whirlwind of unstoppable noise.
I
know that some people will complain that the production could have
done with more work. As it can sound very lo-fi and raw at times. I
feel this is what Harvester were aiming for with the album by
creating an album that’s close to the live Harvester experience
you’re ever likely to get. This album makes you feel that you’re
in the front row of a Harvester live performance.
Harmonic
Ruptures is a spellbinding and thrilling album to listen to. It shows
you the full power and scope of Harvester’s musical vision as
Harvester have released a must have album.
Words
by Steve Howe
Thanks
to Harvester for the promo. Harmonic Ruptures will be available to
buy on CD from July 1st 2016 with physical releases coming later in
the year.
Links:
Harvester
have upcoming gigs in Ireland, UK and were also recently asked by
Bill Kelliher to support Mastodon in August.
Upcoming
Gigs
Thurs
7 July Galway - Roisin Dubh
Fri
8 July Cork - Fred Zeppelins
Sat
9 July Kilkenny - Cleeres
Also
we will be returning to bonnie Scotland at the end of July. More UK
gigs to be added
Thurs
28 July - Edinburgh - Banshee Labyrinth
Fri
29 July - Glasgow - Nice n' Sleazy
Sun
14 Aug Belfast - Limelight w/ Mastodon
Mon
15 Aug Dublin - Academy w/ Mastodon
Check out the excellent new song - Magnetic North from Harmonic Ruptures.