Jagjaguwar Records
Released: September 14th, 2010
Stoner Rock (and it's heavier brother Sludge/Stoner Metal) can either be immensely awesome or fucking stupid. I have no interest any more in listening a bunch of potheads singing about bongs and wizards and shit. No interest in 15 min crunchy guitar jams either. Give me the the riffs, the head bobbing bass and drums, and the trippy vocals. Leave out the bullshit. Black Sabbath did it the best. (Oh wait they sang about weed and wizards. OK but it was the seventies, everyone was high.)
Black Mountain certainly knows how to create fucking rocking licks, keep the rhythm tight, and the dueling vocals of band leader Stephen McBean and Amber Webber* create amazing harmonies that layer nicely over the sludgey guitars. Wilderness Heart is their 3rd full length, and while its good and I like it a lot, it is not nearly as amazing as 2008's In The Future. That album was my personal favorite of that year. This new album is lacking the dramatic impact of the songs that were on their last album.
This is not to say that the album is not worth listening checking out. The songs are varied enough to create a good flow throughout the album. Some of the songs are even a little more upbeat and faster than their previous material (especially "Let Spirits Ride" which almost has a thrash-metal vibe to it. It rules.) Other up beat songs that are rad are "Old Fangs" and the title track "Wilderness Heart". Slower jams (but not too slow or jam-y) worth checking out are "Rollercoaster" and "The Way To Go".
Not their strongest effort but good none-the-less. Check it out.
*I have the biggest crush-on for Amber Webber btw. Any of you Vancouver-ites that can hook me up with her I'll will paint your portrait, cook dinner for you, and high-five you 50,346 times.
Similar: The Black Angels, Pink Mountaintops, Black Sabbath
Rating: 7.5
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