Search - Black Mountain :: In the Future (Dlx)

Scaling into the future

E. A Solinas | MD USA | 01/26/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Black Mountain exists in a swirl of heavy, grimy, vaguely psychedelic hard-rock, redolent of Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin (with maybe a touch of the Velvet Underground and Pink Floyd).



And the band is in fine shape in their sophomore album "In The Future" -- they introduce some new musical twists, while still keeping their signature sound. It's a powerful, intense collection of hard-rockers, but with a few softer songs sprinkled in to show their range.



It opens with a grimy riff, a dark stomping bassline, and some smashing drums -- and for a minute, the appropriately-named "Stormy High" whips itself into a barely-restrained frenzy. When Stephen McBean's wailing vocals join the mix, the song straightens out into a solid, intense rocker that blasts its way down, reeking of classic rock concerts and apocalyptic fury.



Having reeled you in, Black Mountain turns out the bluesy "Angels," with McBean lamenting, "Come on, lay your head on down/angels, lay your arms around/every city's singing saddened songs...." And that quieter song is echoed in some of the others -- mournful folkiness, haunting fuzzy songs, or the ethereal closing lament "Night Walks."



But they haven't abandoned the harder music, thankfully. This is where their real power erupts out -- simmering hard-rock, gritty psychedelica wound with synth, stormy twisting electro-metal, and the penultimate song -- a seventeen-minute epic journey through explosive hard-rock, solemn organ instrumentals, and an earsplitting finale.



Whoo. What a ride. It's been only three years since Black Mountain came out with their self-titled album and EP -- it was great music, but still raw and unformed. They've obviously done a lot of work in that time, because "In the Future" is a whole different beast -- they're more polished, focused and eclectic in their sounds.



Like any good hard-rock album, it's got loads of twisting, undulating riffs and heavy basslines, fused into strong, muscular melodies -- also mix in smashing drums, tambourine, some somnolent organ, and acoustic guitar. And the band can switch styles in an instant -- for instance, "Tyrants" effortlessly flips between wistful Renaissancey ballads, and epic, powerful sweeps of hard-rock.



Also take note: there's a lot more synth in this album than in their previous one. It's all very early 1970s -- colourful psychedelic ribbons wound through "Wucan," plenty of harmonium, and strangled keyboard notes.



McBean's voice hasn't changed, though -- he's still high and waily, and in the louder songs he sounds like he's leading an army ("The heart it waaaas/howling in the heavens... we will come together!"). He shares vocal time with Amber Webber, whose smooth wistful voice sounds at home whether she's dueting with him, or singing the softer songs by herself.



"In the Future" is the natural evolution of Black Mountain -- a powerful, polished, intense retro-rock collection. This is one mountain that's worth scaling all the way."

There's Promise In the Future, Even if It's In the Past.

Carmen Scriptor | 02/10/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"As noted by other reviews, the music on this album sounds a lot like hard rock of the early 1970s. If you like new music that sounds like old music, you might also like a band named The Sound Track of Our Lives. Stormy High seems to be the strongest composition on this album. I don't care much for the falsetto singing in Stay Free. Queens Will Play makes me think of Jefferson Airplane. Evil Ways sounds a bit like Black Sabbath. Bright Lights sounds a bit like Pink Floyd. Overall, there is some polish and sophistication to this music: varying rhythms, textures, melodies, tempi and emotional intensity. That polish makes it easier to stomach the trendy qualities of weak intonation and weak vocal technique."

The future is past.

Frank Shanks | Buttwrench, ID | 02/11/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"WOW!!!!!Sweet Baby Jesus!!!!!!!! THANK GOD Rock and Roll is still alive. This is a very good CD but, with all due respect, they're no Black Sabbath or Pink Floyd. They sound more like a the Jefferson Starship meet Patti Smith. They would be extremely at home in the late 60s as their music has that West Coast psychedelic flavor. This is very groovy, simple(musically and lyrically) but multidimensional sonic fair. No two songs sound the same, but the entire CD flows so well that it has a psychedelic feel when listened to in it's entirety. The whole CD is good but the songs Night Walks, Queens Will Play and Bright Lights KILLLLLLLLLL!!!! Amber Webber has the voice of a GODDESS!!! But, if you're into Black Sabbath (heavy/doom metal) you'll be wondering why, of all bands, they're comparing Black Mountain with them. But if you're into late 60s psychedelic rock, you'll LOVE this CD."