Witch Mountain - Mobile of Angels
by Paul Waller
published: 16 / 9 / 2014
Label:
Svart Records
Format: CD
intro
First-rate new album from much acclaimed and currently ultra-hip Portland, Oregon-based doom metal band, Witch Mountain
The hippest place to live on earth? Probably Portland, Oregon, right? The hippest genre of rock music right now? Probably Doom metal. What do you get when you mix the two…enter Witch Mountain. First off, let me tell you that I love this band. 2011’s ‘South of Salem’ is still played regularly on my turntable and, whilst newer bands such as Blues Pills appear to have stolen their ‘female singer who can belt out a tune’ thunder a little, with their latest album Witch Mountain have stuck mostly to their metal guns and not embedded themselves under the blues rock banner like I thought they may have when I heard the beautiful yet lightweight and smokey album centre piece, ‘Your Corrupt Ways (Sour the Hymn)’. ‘Don’t Look Around’ and album opener ‘Psycho Animundi’ have riffs to kill for, but ‘Can’t Settle’ is the head banging master on here for my money. Slow and doomy riffing plus the most delicious vocal from Uta Plotkin brings this song kicking and screaming into the modern rock age, but you can’t help sense it was born thanks to a deep knowledge of Deep Purple and Black Sabbath. Then Uta vomits out the most guttural growls this side of a Cannibal Corpse album. It’s a belter. It’s no secret to Witch Mountain fans to know that after this record’s promotional touring has been completed the vocalist is leaving the band. Where this leaves them I can not say. The band functioned for years without Uta it's true, but her vocal style has become so entwined with the Witch Mountain sound that I wonder if the momentum the group has built over the past few years will flounder. I hope not because if listening to this beast of an album makes me a hipster then bring forth my waist coat and matching moustache. I am in.
Track Listing:-
1 Psycho Animundi2 Can't Settle
3 Your Corrupt Ways (Sour the Hy
4 Mobile of Angels
5 The Shape Truth Takes
Band Links:-
https://www.facebook.com/witchmountainhttps://twitter.com/witch_mountain
Label Links:-
http://www.svartrecords.com/https://www.youtube.com/user/SvartRecords
https://www.facebook.com/svartrecords
https://twitter.com/svartrecords
live reviews |
Cafe Dekcuf, Ottawa, 27/10/2012 |
Andrew Carver enjoys a night of heavy metal headlined by Portland, Oregon-band Witch Mountain at mini festival Halloween is Doomed! at the Cafe Dekcuf in Ottawa |
most viewed articles
current edition
The Church - Interview with Steve KilbeySimon Heavisides - Destiny Stopped Screaming: The Life and Times of Adrian Borland
In Dreams Begin Responsibilities - #15- On Being Dignified and Old aka Ten Tips From Jah Wobble On How To Be Happy.
Secret Shine - Interview
Vetchinsky Settings - Interview
Repomen - Ten Songs That Made Me Love...
Jack Roscoe - Interview
Sami Sumner - Interview
Near Jazz Experience - Interview
Flaming Stars - Interview
most viewed reviews
current edition
Lewis 'Burner' Pugh - Bullets for BreadIan Hunter - Defiance Part 2: Fiction
Inutili - A Love Supreme
Kula Shaker - Natural Magick
Smalltown Tigers - Crush On You
Hillbilly Moon Explosion - Back in Time
My Life Story - Loving You is Killing Me
David Cross Band - Ice Blue Silver Sky
Beyonce - Cowboy Carter
Ty Segall - Three Bells
Pennyblackmusic Regular Contributors
Adrian Janes
Amanda J. Window
Andrew Twambley
Anthony Dhanendran
Benjamin Howarth
Cila Warncke
Daniel Cressey
Darren Aston
Dastardly
Dave Goodwin
Denzil Watson
Dominic B. Simpson
Eoghan Lyng
Fiona Hutchings
Harry Sherriff
Helen Tipping
Jamie Rowland
John Clarkson
Julie Cruickshank
Kimberly Bright
Lisa Torem
Maarten Schiethart