Shroom Eater describe their new album "God of the Gaps" as chronicling "humanity's odyssey in quest of the divine and their idols, born from myriad events and circumstances" and "a time when the mysteries of phenomena eluded our scientific grasp". Heavy stuff we think you will agree but we are not here to deep dive into themes and theories we are just concerned with the music and on that score the Indonesian outfit more than deliver.
Things start off quite symphonic and operatic with the brief but very interesting "Insrotroom" but then get down and dirty with its follow up "Bending the Lights", gnarly guitar tones to the fore over a deeply distorted and dank backdrop of low bass and loose/tight drumming, the songs vocals, clean strong and melodic, telling of thunder gods and "oceans of perception". Wind chimes introduce the appropriately titled "Wind Control", the songs groove, a grainy mix of stoner rock fuzziness and garage rock attitude, is enhanced by some nice lead/backing vocal trade offs and searing lead guitar work as well as some unexpected but hugely enjoyable flute work. For their next track, "Deathly Ashes" Shroom Eater go proto-doom, but an off-centred proto-doom that has one foot placed firmly in the pool of heavy psych. There is an enjoyable jerkiness to next track "Illumination Divers" both in its vocals and its music while "Mother Earth" finds the band toying with aspects of the blues. Its back to the proto-doom for "Big Step" and its follow up "Hanging Garden in the Desert" the former blended with a little stoner grittiness and the latter touched with elements of theatrical vocal playfulness. Things get a little political on next song "Holy Killers" a barely concealed rant at the powers that be delivered over a backdrop of chainsaw riffage and thrumming hard driven rhythms. Things are brought to a close with the eerie "For the Praiseworthy", with remote and distant voices singing in unison beneath swirling wind effects, the results of which create in the minds eye a dystopian vision of a choir singing praises to a god who has clearly stopped listening, a haunting yet quite captivating curtain call on a really good album.
Thanks for a review!
ReplyDeleteThanks for reviewing us! me as the guitarist have to give you credit for noticing a pinch of blues a little bit of country riff in Mother Earth, finally somebody notice hahahaha. anyway this is a great review and unbelievably informative feedback!
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