Black Mountain - In The Future
February 7th, 2008
By Andrea Doyle
Black Mountain - In The Future
Do you ever dream of traveling back in time and experiencing a different era? Pressing play on Black Mountain’s ironically titled sophomore album, In The Future, is comparable to strapping into the front seat of the DeLorean and being whisked away into the mind-blowing 1960’s.
The opening track “Stormy High” features powerful guitar riffs imitating those of legendary Black Sabbath. Hard rock fans will be pleased to be offered an alternative from the trend of upbeat mainstream melodies and delivered to the classic sound of raw guitar and forceful drumming. The hard sound is replaced through the middle of the album as the percussion becomes lighter, matching the softer guitar and high falsetto reminiscent of Pink Floyd. Are you sedated yet?
It isn’t until Amber Webber unleashes her entrancing voice on “Queens Will Play” that the listener becomes comfortably numb. It is the quintessential modern psychedelic rock tune, encompassing a dreamy, distant voice and its fusion with solid riffs and steady beats. The atmosphere created by the vocals provides a distraction from the lack of substance in the lyrics. Webber’s hypnotizing talent is a precise match to Jefferson Airplane’s Grace Slick, which is proven again on the final song “Night Walks,” leaving the puzzled wondering where the last hour went.
Although the Vancouver rockers are still signed to the independent label Jagjaguwar, vast mainstream media attention, including snatching a place on the Spiderman 3 soundtrack, could propel Black Mountain and neo-psych rock to wider demographic. Future is the platform to achieve this goal and revive acid rock; maybe there isn’t irony behind the title after all.
8/10
