New Spins: 1st March 2021

The year is flying by so quickly, we're already in March although still in lockdown for a little while yet. What else to do then but check out three quite different but rather temporally mesmerising releases.

The Mountain King - The Smell Of Stars And Vomit

There's epic, and then there is EPIC!! German solo space doom outfit The Mountain King continues his completely enveloping artistic thread with this new album. The Smell Of Stars And Vomit is an hour and a half long and has a storyline somewhere between Crack The Skye and In Search Of Space. It's absolutely entrancing from start to finish, even if it takes a while to fully get your head around (I'm still trying!). It's less focussed on heavy guitars than previous works by The Mountain King, with more mellow tones and bass embellishments that drive the album musically. It's written entirely around 7/8 timing which gives it an off-kilter feel that is definitely noticeable, but far from being a distraction it actually becomes rather invigorating. Whatsmore, if I thought Wallowing do a huge amount of merch then The Mountain King puts them to shame! There's so much different stuff that I can't fully describe it here, just check out the Bandcamp link below and enjoy...

The Mountain King on Bandcamp

Saint Nicotine - Dark Dessert Lullabies

Greek newcomers Saint Nicotine have produced a record which couldn't be more aptly titled. Dark Dessert Lullabies straddles the line sonically between stoner doom and dessert rock, though the heaviness and instrumental nature means it's stronger foot is definitely in the former camp. Whilst the production is raw and the song-writing on both it's tracks is quite minimalist, the more you listen the more it becomes rather hypnotic and intriguing. There's definitely room for improvement, but for a short and sweet first release I really enjoyed Dark Dessert Lullabies, and I'm looking forward to more from Saint Nicotine.

Dark Dessert Lullabies on Youtube

Five The Hierophant - Through Aureate Void

There's a lot of people talking about this album, and with very good reason. A significant step up from their last album but still in-keeping with their intoxicating blend of atmospheric jazz and trance-like doom metal. For all the comparisons they might have had before to the likes of White Ward, Shining or Imperial Triumphant I really feel that Through Aureate Void puts Five The Hierophant in their own unique space now. There is an energy to this album beyond the weird sounds and jazz instrumentation which reminded me of the similarly sax-driven Narcosatanicos. The pulsating rhythms and repetitions chime perfectly with the unrelentingly dark ambience, while the riffs flow with a stark potency that allows everything to be wrapped around it. It's a quite stunning and completely addictive album that I'm sure will be on many end of year lists come December.

Five The Hierophant on Bandcamp