2008 Woodie Awards
CD Review: 'Future' looks grim for rock-imposters Black Mountain
Alyssa Smith
Issue date: 1/31/08 Section: Entertainment
01/31/08 - If others try to pawn off Black Mountain as a new and inventive band, don't believe the hype. Whether they claim to be appreciators of '60s and '70s psychedelic rock, or utter worshippers of the genre, these copycats can best be defined as a group which enterprises on rehashing timeless and original bands like Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and Pink Floyd. Black Mountain is the main band backing Black Mountain Army, a collective unit of musicians from Vancouver, British Colombia. Stephen McBean, the haggard-looking frontman, has been noted for fronting more experimental indie bands as well, such as Jerk with A Bomb and Pink Mountaintops.
While many listeners were impressed with Black Mountain's debut album Druganaut, their sophomore album, In The Future should only be inspiring to a stoner with tin ears. The redundancy of grimy-grunge guitar riffs and stoner metal stirred in with lasers and heavy keyboards make the music unmemorable and difficult to endure.
The first track, "Stormy High," begins with an uninspiring sampling of the hard rock guitar of ACDC's "Hells Bells." With transition by basic rhythmic drumming, the song awkwardly straddles several genres. Between the intermittent usage of "Back in Black," offsetting psychedelic organs and faint sounds of synthesizers, the tune is a lost cause.
The second track, "Angels,"showcases a twangy guitar synonymous with artists like Neil Young and Tom Petty. Unfortunately, all the song suggests is that the musicians know how to mimic the folk rock ways of their forefathers without contributing much more to their own creative vision.
Followed by "Angels" is the "Guitar Hero"-enthused "Tyrants," which becomes dragged out in gut busting battle anthem style. However, by the horrid and unexpected transition to a Roger Waters-type of mood one minute in, you'd think the band had just finished watching Wizard of Oz while listening to the whole Dark Side of the Moon album. After a gratuitous barrage of unnecessary guitar solos, pounding drum beats and dim Middle Earth sounding flutes, the eight minute-long tune seems to be the band's attempt to resurrect a ballad like Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven."
While many listeners were impressed with Black Mountain's debut album Druganaut, their sophomore album, In The Future should only be inspiring to a stoner with tin ears. The redundancy of grimy-grunge guitar riffs and stoner metal stirred in with lasers and heavy keyboards make the music unmemorable and difficult to endure.
The first track, "Stormy High," begins with an uninspiring sampling of the hard rock guitar of ACDC's "Hells Bells." With transition by basic rhythmic drumming, the song awkwardly straddles several genres. Between the intermittent usage of "Back in Black," offsetting psychedelic organs and faint sounds of synthesizers, the tune is a lost cause.
The second track, "Angels,"showcases a twangy guitar synonymous with artists like Neil Young and Tom Petty. Unfortunately, all the song suggests is that the musicians know how to mimic the folk rock ways of their forefathers without contributing much more to their own creative vision.
Followed by "Angels" is the "Guitar Hero"-enthused "Tyrants," which becomes dragged out in gut busting battle anthem style. However, by the horrid and unexpected transition to a Roger Waters-type of mood one minute in, you'd think the band had just finished watching Wizard of Oz while listening to the whole Dark Side of the Moon album. After a gratuitous barrage of unnecessary guitar solos, pounding drum beats and dim Middle Earth sounding flutes, the eight minute-long tune seems to be the band's attempt to resurrect a ballad like Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven."