Release Date: October 27th 2023. Record Label: Argonauta Records. Formats: DD/Vinyl.
Ego Planet - Ego Planet - Tracklisting
Swallow The Sun
The Call
Reflection
Entertainment
Butcher's Blade
Leviathan
Faceless Children
Order Of The Tree
T.H.E.N (Vinyl Bonus Track)
Dead Man's Float (Vinyl Bonus Track)
Members
Jarrett Mead - Vocals
Chris Baker - Guitar/Bass
Steve Iannettoni - Drums
Review
New Jersey Stoner Metallers Ego Planet self-titled debut album is built on Heavy Psychedelic and Spaced Out Passages and draws inspiration from fellow New Jersey icons Monster Magnet. Even the band's name and album name maybe inspired by a certain Monster Magnet song or legendary comic book character. Though, Ego Planet plays with a more Cosmic Doomed Out Sound with plenty of Classic Hard Rock Swagger. With a slight variation of the gloomy sounds that early-era The Sword provided, this album is a wicked sounding record built on first rate Psychedelic Rock foundations with Jarrett's vocals having a slight Blues Rock/Alt Rock twang to them.
The storytelling and creative aspect of Ego Planet reminds me of Coheed And Cambira especially when the band are in full flight with their subtle Heavy Psych grooves. The first few opening tracks of the album Swallow The Sun, The Call and Reflection focus upon on highly melodic Heavu Psych vibes with a subtle layer of Stoner Metal heaviness which almost moves over to the Post-Stoner or Post-Doom variety which is becoming one of the more dominant forces within the underground Doom/Stoner Metal scene. Ego Planet stick to their creative strengths on the album with a dominant Heavy Rock core which gives way to some fabulous classic Heavy Rock/Metal guitar solos that never sound out of place.
Ego Planet even adapted their Psych/Cosmic Sound to include traces of Funk Driven Sludgy grooves on the Reflection with a Post-Doom atmosphere changing into a frantic Alt-Rock approach. The song is one of my personal favourites on the album with how Ego Planet switches the mood to something different and wonderfully refreshing. The sound can be off-kilter but it shows that Ego Planet are fully in control of their own creative domain.
Ego Planet allowed themselves the opportunity to experiment with Ambient and Sonic textures with the music being more Doom Metal dominated on tracks such as Entertainment and Butcher's Blade. There's a slight reliance on Punk Rock attitude on these tracks and the later stages of the album with Ego Planet becoming more vicious with their lyrical imagery that resides within the song. This shows listeners that Ego Planet are more than happy to bring a Destructive Melodic Tone to the album. Vocals are handled superbly well throughout by Jarrett Mead with excellent instrumental work by Chris Baker (Guitars/Bass) and Steve Iannettoni (Drums) who all capture the legendary New Jersey Stoner Metal sound laid down by one of the true Godfathers of the Stoner Metal scene. Dave Wyndorf would be quite proud and optimistic with how Ego Planet delivers their own destructive blend of intense Cosmic/Stoner Metal sounds on the album.
Other standout tracks include Leviathan, Faceless Children and Order Of The Tree perhaps containing the more aggressive and trippy sounding moments of the album with Ego Planet once again delving further into the Doomed Out Heavy Metal abyss. Flashes of Classic Heavy Metal guitar solos will are handled superbly well with the band never overdoing that part of the album.
The vinyl edition of the album contains two bonus tracks with T.H.E.N and Dead Man's Float. These are superb tracks in their own right but I felt they were the weakest link to an already brilliantly impressive debut release and I can see why Ego Planet decided to keep these as bonus tracks.
Ego Planet have delivered the goods here with an action-packed release that allows listeners to experience a slightly different kind of Psychedelic Stoner Metal album that will ultimately leave you fully satisfied from start to finish.
Excellent and Highly Recommended.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to Grand Sounds Promotion for the promo.
Ego Planet's self-titled album will be available to buy on DD/Vinyl via Argonauta Records from October 27th 2023.
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