Things tend to move in circles and as we move towards the mid 2000's both prog and psychedelic tinted rock are starting to see somewhat of a resurgence with more and more bands from rock's underground experimenting with prog(ish) texturing and psychedelic colourings, mixing these elements with more basic rock traits like low tuned fuzz drenched guitar riffage and powerful thunderous rhythms to create a whole new set of dynamics.
Phoenix, Arizona's Hovenweep, are a superb example of a band who fit the above criteria, the quartet are primarily a heavy psych band but the addition of organ/keys to their sonic make-up gives the bands grooves an expansive proggish feel, a feel that permeates every note and musical inflection of their stunning debut EP "Salvian Journey"
"Cave" starts us on our journey, a swirling heavy psych outing driven by a thunderous and busy combination of drums and bass pushed further into overdrive by whooshing keyboards and scorching lead guitar over which cool laid back vocals tell of "illusions we know" and "echoes around us" in tones hazy, clean and melodic. If your attention has not been grabbed by now then title track "Salvian Journey", with its Quest For Fire (defunct Canadian heavy psych band ) type vocal melody allied to a delicious throbbing groove, will remedy that, its swirling keyboards, ascending/descending guitar motifs and overall trippy feel taking things to whole new level of excellent. "The Last Ones" follows and sees Hovenweep once again utilising their combination of drums and bass to create a groove that swells and pulsates, a groove over which keyboards and guitar vie for supremacy around a superbly executed vocal melody. Hovenweep close their debut with "I Am A Locust" a song that carries the legend "you got the money, I got the weed" and uses the phrase "social amputee" over a groove that will have you jumping out of your seat and throwing your body into shapes you never thought they could make, or even should make.
Hovenweep are doing for heavy psych, with "Salvian Journey",what Elder are currently doing for prog and All Them Witches are doing for the blues, taking a music that is already in existence but then twisting it around and turning it inside out until it is almost something else entirely, still identifiable but nonetheless different.
Check 'em out ….
© 2020 Frazer Jones
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