Destroyer

by Black Mountain

Overview

The Canadian heavy-psych group's fifth studio long-player and the follow-up to 2016's IV, Destroyer is Black Mountain's tightest, gnarliest, and least sprawling outing to date. Clocking in at just over 40 minutes, the eight-track set commences with the assured "Future Shade," a guitarmony-heavy nitro-burning dragster of a jam that channels British Steel-era Judas Priest by way of Fu Manchu. Featuring a re-tooled lineup that introduces Rachel Fannan of Sleepy Sun and a trio of seasoned kit men (Adam Bulgasem [Dommengang, Soft Kill], Kliph Scurlock [Flaming Lips], and Kid Millions [Oneida]), Destroyer lives up to its moniker by using muscly classic rock and trashy '80s metal for a lodestar -- the name is a reference to the single-run 1985 Dodge Destroyer. "Horns Arising" goes all in on Sabbathy doom, with beefy guitar leads duking it out with snaky synth lines and plenty of spacy vocoder -- there's even an extended, finger-picked acoustic bit reminiscent of "The Writ" from Sabotage. Elsewhere, the dizzying "High Rise" makes great use of Stephen McBean and Rachel Fannan's voices -- their icy cool interplay evokes a stoner metal version of John Doe and Exene Cervenka -- and the snappy "Pretty Little Lazies" uses the framework of Status Quo's "Pictures of Matchstick Men" to craft a lethally sweet psych-pop confection. Produced with heft -- and a whole lot of flange -- by John Congleton, Destroyer is at its best when it leaves the noodling behind, which it does more often than not. Still, there is plenty here to savor for fans of lurid, bong hit-worthy sonic vistas -- the hypnotic closer "FD72" would've sounded superb ringing out from the roadhouse stage on Showtime's Twin Peaks revival -- but this time around, Black Mountain are out of the basement and out on the town looking for trouble. ~ James Christopher Monger

Product Details

Release Date:	05/24/2019
Label:	JAGJAGUWAR
UPC:	0656605234021

Tracks

1. Future Shade
2. Horns Arising
3. Closer to the Edge
4. High Rise
5. Pretty Little Lazies
6. Boogie Lover
7. Licensed to Drive
8. FD'72

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Black Mountain   Primary Artist
Brooke Worrel   Vocals
Jeremy Schmidt   Mellotron,Synthesizer,Vocoder
Stephen McBean   Bass,E-Bow,Organ,Vocals,Linn Drum,Percussion,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Brad Truax   Bass
Kid Millions   Drums
Steve Fishman   Bass
Kliph Scurlock   Drums
Rachel Fannan   Vocals
Adam Bulgasem   Drums
Arjan Miranda   Bass,E-Bow,Guitar (Acoustic)
Andy Anderson   Bass

Technical Credits

Jeremy Schmidt   Engineer,Keyboard Arrangements,Artwork,Composer
Stephen McBean   Composer,Engineer,Producer
Greg Calbi   Mastering
John Congleton   Mixing