Release Date: August 11th 2023. Record Label: Ripple Music. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl
Close Encounters: Tracklisting
Burn Scar
Favourite One
Black Yesterday
Snag
Massive
Power Grab
Of The Ages
What It Is To Be Free
Pacino
Members
Matthew Couto - Drums
Tom Cornino - Bass
Craig Riggs - Vocals
Darryl Shepard - Guitar
Review:
Close Encounters is the new album from Psych Doom/Stoner Rockers KIND who continue to impress and dazzle with their spellbinding style of Cosmic sounding grooves which features a first rate Classic Rock narrative throughout the album. KIND are considered as a SUPERGROUP with members having a rich history with bands such as ELDER, Black Pyramid, Rozamov and Roadsaw. So the quality of the band is undeniable with a first rate line-up such as that. KIND proved over their previous two albums they were one of the best SUPERGROUPS around from the Stoner Rock/Metal underground scene with their blend of Psychedelic Stoner Rock drifting into the finer moments of Classic Rock and Modern Day Doom/Stoner Metal.
This album is perhaps their most focused and easily the best record they've done to date. Blending Cosmic and Psych Rock world-building sounds which comes through mostly with the sublime and intelligent lyrics KIND have written for this release. With a more adventerous Post-Doom or Post-Stoner sound being used as the main platform for KIND to deliver their heavy spaced out sounds from. Close Encounters feels like each individual member's creative ideas fully come into play equally and allows KIND into having a more fully realised sound.
The opening tracks of Burn Scar, Favorite One and Black Yesterday are classic sounding KIND through and through. A fully dominant melodic Psych/Space Rock flow blends superbly with their gloomy Doomed Out atmospheric instrumental parts with the wonderful vocals that accompany these tracks. KIND have a more FUZZED UP attitude to their music where the volume levels move into subtle AMPLIFIER DISTORTED territory with vivid vocal chants being the icing on the cake on Favorite One and Black Yesterday.
There's a free-flowing Desert Rock based Post-Rock attitude on this album which makes a welcome appearance firstly on Black Yesterday and used on various stages of the album. KIND play a fine line of Melodic Stoner Rock and the more Aggressive Psych Doom Metal energy which has a deep Progressive flavour to it all. The album is perhaps their darkest record to date with a sludgy, seedy and Grungy appetite appearing mostly within the lyrics and their use of heavy distorted Progressive jams on the later stages of the album.
Close Encounters can be an absolute RAGER of an album in places but one that knows how to retain it's Doom/Stoner Metal flair on tracks such as Snag, Massive, Power Grab and What It Is To Be Free. There's a wide assortment of first rate extended Psychedelic jams with KIND moving further away from the SUPERGROUP tag they were initially announced with. As with their previous albums, this has wonderfully realised and brilliantly recorded production values. Would you expect anything less with this being a Ripple Music release. All their albums sound awesome and this is no different.
However, this is KIND's chance to shine and they do with their most daring, intense, outlandish and impressive album to date. Close Encounters is one of the finest and richly observed Psychedelic Stoner Rock/Metal records you'll hear this year. No question.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the promo.
Close Encounters will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Ripple Music European Store and Ripple Music's BandCamp Page for USA Orders from August 11th 2023.
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