Canyons
– Tracklisting
1.
Gears Of Despair
2.
Cosmic Guilt
3.
Seven Echoes
4.
Telemachus My Son
5.
Beyond The Canopy
6.
Arms Of The Sun
7.
Mind Fortresses On Theia
8.
Organic Caverns II
Members
David
Majury (guitars)
Chris
Couzens (guitars)
Marty
Harvey (drums / vocals)
Review
Slomatics
new album Canyons sees the band with a new adventurous, progressive
and heavier sound. After completing a trilogy of similar themed
albums with A Hocht, Estron and Future Echo Returns. Canyons allow Slomatics to
re-invent themselves with a different style of music. Though the
music played on Canyons does allow the band to play their classic
sounding and trademark FUZZ Drenched Heavy Doomed Out Sounds.
Opening
song – Gears Of De itspair – starts rather quietly until a heavy
pounding sound soon explodes into a large Psychedelic and Spaced Out
riff. Marty’s vocals are vastly different compared to previous
Slomatics albums. As Marty’s vocals feel more powerful and
restrained at the same time. The song moves at a delicate slow pace
but the overall sound and atmosphere of the album is HUGE with the
trippy and psychedelic vibes bringing a more nuanced Doom Metal
approach to the album.
Second
song – Cosmic Guilt – is classic sounding Slomatics through and
through whilst offering a hint of their new progressive Doomed Out
sound that allows the band to add strands of Ambient Rock/Metal
towards the end of the song. Marty, Chris and David demonstrate why
they’re highly thought of within the Doom Metal community as they
all put in stellar musical performances on this track.
Third
song – Seven Echoes – is an instrumental song and Slomatics don’t
let the short running time get in their way as they play a heavy and
thunderous style of Doom/Stoner Metal with elements of Psych Rock and
Space Rock holding everything together.
Fourth
song – Telemachus My Son – is my favourite song on the album as
it’s Slomatics in full DOOM METAL mode with the OTT lyrics and
Marty putting in a truly commanding vocal performance. Though it’s
the heavy guitar work from Chris and David that impressed me the
most. The song is a mixture of Psych, Stoner Metal, Doom and Space
Rock that ranks as one of the most creative songs Slomatics have
recorded so far.
Fifth
song – Beyond The Canopy – has similar themes to Telemachus My
Son. The music is played at a deliberate slow pace but this song has
a more impending sense of DOOM compared to the other songs on the
album. The song is bleakly poetic and sees Slomatics add a more
reflective cinematic Post-Rock/Post-Metal vibe to the album.
The
final three songs - Arms Of The Sun, Mind Fortresses On Theia and
Organic Caverns II – once again sees Slomatics play to their
absolute strengths by creating some of the heaviest and fuzzed out
parts of the album with Mind Fortresses On Theia being the main
highlight. As I feel Marty puts in his best ever vocal performance on
Mind Fortresses On Theia.
Canyons
acts as a celebration for a band who have being going from strength
to strength for the last fifteen years and who show no signs of
slowing down.
The
album is brilliantly produced and is one of the best sounding
Slomatics have released to date. Canyons is simply without a doubt my
favourite album I’ve heard this year and the odds are looking good
that it will end up my favourite album of the year.
The
album is a mighty step forward for Slomatics with its bold and unique
heavy sound. Canyons is a must have and unmissable album.
Words
by Steve Howe
Thanks
to Curtis
at Dewar PR for the promo. Canyons will be available to buy on
Cassette/CD/DD/Vinyl via Black Bow Records from June 14th
2019.
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