Release
date: April
24th
2020.
Label: Holy
Roar Records.
Format: CD/DD/Vinyl
Habits
– Tracklisting
1.Wake.Repeat
(Intro)
2.Sails
3.Faceless
4.Exit
The Soul
5.The
Fall Chorus
6.Bird
7.Wasted
8.Broken
Nails
Members
Jack
Townley - Guitar/Vocal
Peter
Holland - Bass/Vocal
Sam
Hart - Drums
Riley
MacIntyre - Producer/Extra Instrumentation
John
Slattery - Synth/Guitar
Nathan
Hickey - Guitar
Review
Habits
is the new album from Elephant Tree and their first new release in 4
years since they released their critically acclaimed 2nd
self-titled album. Which has became a classic within the Doom/Stoner
Metal scene in my own personal opinion. It certainly put these guys
on the map and remains a favourite album of mine to this very day.
So
does Habits match up to their last album. In a short answer – YES.
It truly does. Habits is a more braver, bolder and experimental album
that you wouldn’t expect from Elephant Tree, The band could have
easily made a similar sounding record to their last album and nobody
would blame them for doing this. However, this is a very different
record with Elephant Tree playing a more experimental style of music
with twisted elements of Drone, Noise Rock and heavy amounts of FUZZ
being added to their already multi-layered sound.
Opening
song – Wake,Repeat (Intro) – is a mixture of Ambient Noises
spliced with Droned Out Sounds with a an eerie Psychedelic Gloomy
Atmosphere that is quite dark in places but it’s an interesting
style of music the band adapt on this song. It soon builds upto the
next song and that’s where the real excitement starts…
Second
song – Sails – is the perfect song for the band to show their new
addictive and heavy sound with a song that flirts between Post-Punk
gloominess and the heaviness of Psychedelic Sludge/Stoner Rock which
reminds me of early-era Torche in places. Add a distorted Noise Rock
environment for Elephant Tree to build their music upon and you have
a song that’s quite surreal in places but one that has a dark and
warm addictive glow to it all. The vocals are standout with a 90s
Alternative Rock feel to them but still sounding quite grounded as
well.
Third
song – Faceless – is where Elephant Tree start to bring some of
their trademark heavy grooves to the album and yet still manage to
expand their own musical horizons with Psychedelic Doom/Drone guitars
moving along at a wonderful slow pace. The overall feel of the album
does sound different what has came before for it but it also sounds
remarkably familiar as well. It’s very hard to describe as the
heavy guitars channel superbly executed aggressive riffs that remind
me of The Melvins in many ways.
Elephant
Tree carry on creating their dark musical journey whilst offering
many uplifting moments of high quality Sludge/Stoner Rock that you
wouldn’t initially expect especially on the next two songs – Exit
The Soul and The Fall Chorus.
The
standout part of the album is the final songs of Bird, Wasted and
Broken Nails which elevates Habits into Album Of The Year category
for these 3 songs alone. This is where Elephant Tree prove why they
are one of the most important bands within the UK Sludge/Doom/Stoner
Rock scene alone. As the band merge highly emotional lyrics with
deeply rich progressive sounds.
Bird
is my favourite song on this album. As it embraces many different
styles of music that it’s quite hard to define it at times and
that’s down to the sheer creativity the band have included on this
song and the whole album in general. Add a gorgeous sing-along chorus
and you’ll be singing the words to this song for days.
Habits
is a deeply rich and emotional experience that only Elephant Tree can
deliver. I expect to see this album to be mentioned everywhere as one
of the best albums of the year. It’s already in my Top 5 albums of
2020. That’s how fucking great this album genuinely is.
Words
by Steve Howe
Thanks
to Hold Tight PR and Purple Sage PR for the promo.
Habits
will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl
via Holy Roar Records
from April 24th
2020.
Links:
