Fostermother - Echo Manor (Album Review)

Release Date: August 23rd 2024. Record Label: Ripple Music. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Echo Manor: Tracklisting

1. Wraith

2. Empty One

3. All We Know

4. Echo Manor

5. Rituals Unknown

6. King To A Dead Tree

7. Carry Me

8. Watchers

9. Lighthouse

10. In The Garden Of Lies

Members

Travis Weatherred - Vocals, Guitars, Keyboards

Stephen Griffin - Guitars, Bass, Keyboards

Jason Motamedi - Drums

Review

Doom/Stoner Metallers Fostermother return with their new album Echo Manor which once again sees the band go under a slight creative transformation like they carried out on their celebrated 2022 album The Ocean. As this time round Fostermother focuses upon areas of Post-Rock, Prog Rock and Space Rock for a record that sees the band become masterful storytellers in their own right.

The music is quite melodic whilst being spectacularly heavy with the Sludge Rock surroundings bringing areas of trippy keyboards and fuzzed up Stoner Rock/Metal atmospherics. The vocals from Travis Weatherred once again have a bittersweet edge to them which comes into play quite early on with the opening track of Wraith.

Wraith is not quite “DOOM & GLOOM” but there are echoes of that style of music with Fostermother slowly moving into the competitive world of Psych Stoner Rock and aligning themselves more closely to bands such as King Buffalo and standing their own creative ground. The instrumental sounds setup the scene of what’s to come on Echo Manor with a gloomy sense of Psychedelic and Progressive sounding melodies with a haunting quality appearing only when it’s needed.

Second track Echo One is more of a heavier Post-Doom/Post-Rock number with a flattering 1970’s Melodic Rock attitude spliced with Sludge/Stoner Rock aggression whilst still having a bittersweet quality but it’s none of those things either. As the band constantly changes musical themes with sublime 1980’s Classic Hard Rock guitar shredding appearing before returning to their main Psychedelic/Post-Whatever sound.

Third track All We Know is one of the standout tracks on the record with a haunting Occult Rock inspired tone which is quite eerie familiar to their previous albums. The music has a muscular and aggressive style with it’s dominant Doom Metal sound before adding levels of Psych Stoner Metal with catchy vocals to match. This is the type of song that has a timeless quality to it with first rate lyrics helping Fostermother to become masters of their own craft.

Fourth track Echo Manor sees a more dramatic SHOEGAZE or DOOMGAZE sound appearing with Fostermother still embracing their slightly demented OCCULT DOOM identity with the song drawing influences from bands such as Blue Oyster Cult and Uncle Acid. The song is perhaps one of the darkest tracks on the whole album perhaps from a lyrical perspective and it does have a certain “HORROR MOVIE” swagger to the whole thing whilst still being a top-notch STONER based track.

Fifth track Rituals Unknown sees Fostermother to tighten their hypnotic grip on the whole Occult Doom/Stoner Metal sound with Post-Rock and Psychedelic energy appearing within the less aggressive parts of the track. The track is quite slow-paced for the most part with the band focusing upon Prog Rock delivery with spectacular results and the perfectly pitched vocals just adding to the highly atmospheric vibe of the whole album.

The second half of the album continues with the OCCULT and PSYCHEDELIC passages with Fostermother adding layers of intense sounding keyboards, sludgy guitars and a first rate rhythm section exploring the more Progressive moments of the whole album especially on tracks such as King To A Dead Tree, Watchers, Lighthouse and In The Garden Of Lies.

This album feels like Fostermother have finally found their true calling of the type of music they were meant to play. As it’s their most engaging and brilliantly entertaining album they’ve released to date. With impressive production values yet again (Part of the course with this being a Ripple Music release), Fostermother have crafted a dazzling and sonic musical adventure which strikes the perfect balance of Psych, Post-Rock, Shoegaze and Occult sounds told through the power of modern day Doom/Stoner Metal.

Echo Manor is Album Of The Year material. Brilliant. End Of. 

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Purple Sage for the promo.

Echo Manor will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Ripple Music from Friday 23rd August 2024.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Fostermother - The Ocean (Album Review)

 

Release Date: February 18th 2022. Record Label: Ripple Music. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

The Ocean  - Tracklisting

1.Sunday

2.Seasons

3.Hedonist

4.Dark Desires

5.Unholiest of Days

6.The Ocean

7.Arrival

8.Redeemer

9.Solitude

Review

Fostermother are perhaps where they need to be with their new album The Ocean and now deservedly being part of The Ripple Music family will certainly help their cause getting their music out there to a wider audience.

Their 2020 debut album was rooted in Psych Doom/Stoner Rock. The Ocean is more Doom Metal/Stoner Metal with a darker, seedier and perhaps dirtier style of music. The band have adapted a darker progressive feel to their music with the grooves, vocals and lyrics having a more adult feel to them.

The opening song Sunday shows the mini-transformation that Fostermother have gone through with a song that is equally home in Prog Rock, Doom Metal and Stoner Metal circles with a delicious Psychedelic Fuzz Rock undercurrent of seedy grooves. Parts Black Sabbath, Truckfighters and Uncle Acid with Fostermother showcasing their own unique style of Doom/Stoner Metal to get wildly excited about.

Whereas their debut album had moments of lighter style sounds, this album remains in the dark vibes that Doom/Stoner Metal brings and the album is the better for it. Fostermother carry a heavier sound of FUZZ on the next few songs on the album with Seasons, Hedonist and Dark Desires bringing almost Electric Wizard volume levels of gloomy FUZZINESS to the album.

The vocals are rooted in seventies Doom Metal and Classic Hard Rock with the lyrics having an Occult Rock flow to them. 

Fostermother show subtle levels of quietness where they play slow style grooves on some parts of the album before exploding into their new found blend of creative heavy grooves that even sees the band adapt a “Sludge Rock/Metal '' identity to their music.

Fostermother have delivered an outstanding album and The Ocean delivers on all fronts with stunning production values bringing new levels of AMPLIFIER RIFF WORSHIP for all of the Doom/Stoner Metal community to embrace and fall in love with.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the promo. 

The Ocean will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Ripple Music from February 18th 2022.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Twitter

Fostermother - S/T (Album Review)

Release date: January 31st 2020. Label: Self Released. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

Fostermother - S/T - Tracklisting

1.Destroyers 04:35

2.Dark Sun

3.Give 05:18

4.Lie in Wait

5.Fathoms

6.Blood on the Wall

7.In the Shadow

Members

Travis Weatherred

Stephen Griffin

Review

Fostermother self-titled debut album may run for thirty minutes but that’s more enough time for the band to impress you with their style of Heavy Psychedelic Doom/Stoner Metal riffs which draws influence from Monolord, Black Sabbath, Uncle Acid and Blue Oyster Cult. The band focus on a more melodic style of Doom/Stoner Metal with Heavy Psychedelic and Classic Rock influences.

Opening song – Destroyers – has a hazy seventies Doom Rock feel before adding a modern Stoner Rock/Metal riff with a slightly distorted Fuzz Rock sound. The vocals soon kick in and we’re instantly transported back to the heyday of Classic Doom/Hard Rock with echoes of Blue Oyster Cult appearing in the vocals. The lyrics portray a band who are willing to inject a bleaker atmosphere that you wouldn’t expect with the trippy distorted guitar riffs showing you that Fostermother mean business.

Second song – Dark Sun – opens with a heavy and almost laid-back Post-Doom groove before settling down for an upbeat Stoner Metal delivery with flashes of Desert Rock and Fuzz Rock appearing. The lyrical content maybe dark but the music tells a different story and this works to the band’s favour. As this song shows all the different sides that make up Fostermother. It’s addictive, soulful and enough trippy based heaviness for the listener to lose themselves in.

Third song – Give – is played at a slow pace as Fostermother gradually bring out their “Doom” based persona to the song and it’s quite progressive in places. The heavy distorted Fuzz Rock sounds appear and interact superbly well with the gloomier sounds currently being played on the song. The instrumental work is equally fascinating as the band play different strands of Psychedelic Doom/Stoner Rock.

Fourth song – Lie In Wait – is quite different of all of the songs on the album as the vocals and lyrics have an almost “Indie/Alternative Rock” vibe at the start of the song. Though the Doom/Stoner Metal vibe soon appears and takes centre-stage but the band has a deep appreciation for Eighties Alternative/Goth Rock. The Electronic Influence is another great touch and this allows the song to be my favourite on the album. Just showing how crazy and inventive Fostermother can actually be.

The final three songs: Fathoms, Blood On The Wall and In The Shadow sees Fostermother continuing their musical journey with dark and seedy lyrics matched against their own Psychedelic blend of Distorted Fuzz, Doom and Stoner Metal that has a gloomy seventies atmosphere holding everything together.

For an album with a short running time, Fostermother cover a lot of ground and truth be told the album could have done with a couple more songs. However, I’m willing to let that minor criticism go as the band have included a lot of different sounds on this album that I didn’t expect. This is an album that has Heart, Braun and Intelligence to match. Fostermother have crafted an undeniable slice of Doom/Stoner Metal heaven here.

These guys maybe new on the block but this album proves they have the talent and vision to go a long way in the Doom/Stoner Metal scene.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Travis for the promo. Fostermother self-titled debut album will be released digitally on Jan 31^st 2020. CD/Vinyl will be released later in the year.

Links:

Facebook | BandCamp