Release Date: April 19th 2022. Record Label: Encapsulated Records. Format: Cassette/DD/Vinyl
Path Of Might - Tracklisting
1.Viper Matrix 06:39
2.Wormhole 01:55
3.Mercenary Territory 08:57
4.Parastichy 02:18
5.Cactus Rose 04:28
6.Supergolden 03:56
7.See You at the End of the World 11:38
8.Antimatter 03:13
9.Armitage 10:41
Review
I hadn’t come across Path Of Might before hearing their new album Deep Chrome. This is their third album and I was mighty impressed by the self described “Stoner Tech Space Cowboys” tag on their BandCamp Page. These guys switch between so many different genres of Hard Rock/Metal that I would call them "Technical Progressive WEEDIAN SPACED OUT Metal".
Flourishes of almost every area of Hard Rock/Metal is contained on this release: Psych, Sludge, Stoner, Doom, Prog and Space Rock. OK, maybe not every area but Path Of MIght covers a lot of ground on this release with a finely tuned precision technical edge.
Deep Chrome is wildly inventive allowing Path Of MIght to have their own highly original sound despite touching upon early era Mastodon/Baroness grooves on the majority of the songs. Though, Path Of Might are more Spaced Out with the Psychedelic based Sludge/Stoner Metal grooves. Maybe Frank Zappa is a big influence to these guys as well as the music does have a Zappa-eque approach with how the music moves from one different genre to the next.
Opening song Viper Matrix offers the perfect opportunity to allow listeners to become fully accustomed to Path Of Might's spectacular way of playing trippy Progressive musical passages with Ambient bursts of Sludge/Stoner Metal aggression. The vocals are clean and robust with a confident feeling to them all. Spiky lyrics help keep it firmly grounded despite the “COSMIC” vibe of the whole album.
Path Of Might doesn't follow the same path as the opening song with second song Wormhole being a more Ambient driven Post-Rock/Post-Stoner based instrumental song.
Third song Mercenary Territory becomes a more “Theatrical” style of music with added synths and slightly electronica based vocals. The song has some “OTT” riff based guitar worship with the synths and organs allowing Path Of Might to throw in Prog Rock ideas you might hear from King Crimson, Genesis and YES but still contained within the world of Sludge/Stoner Metal.
These “Stoner Tech Space Cowboys” have an outlaw approach to their music. They defy genre conventions by playing what they want to play especially on songs such as Cactus Rose, Supergolden, See You At The End Of The World and Armitage.
Path Of Might are wonderfully gifted, technical and accomplished musicians which they prove multiple times on this great album. Sure, the album can become downright confusing with the multitude of different genres being used on the album. However, this doesn’t stop Deep Chrome being a wonderfully absurd and adventurous slice of Spaced Out Doom, Sludge and Stoner Metal that packs a powerful punch. The vocals are quite bleak and wonderfully eerie on the later stages of the record especially when they change to more primal based growls.
If you’re looking for a band that aren’t afraid to take chances with their music then Path Of Might are most definitely worth your time.
Awesome stuff….
Words by Steve Howe
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